a)4 ,a ' ?;E7:- ffi_-ti'oo

trO AIINATS AIID THEIR FOOD

f"rr-t^"-oowdered calcaum

f f in

sweet_0' tatoes carrots- mixed animal- feed

' / \ i:.-:-7

ffi /P f ]e ' ' & / i - , - - , {

sal t vegetable pel lets powdered calc ium

# g = # gdr ied r ice sta lks

sweet-potatoes

carrots

al{eed t'-\ salt vegela

#'€) c

powdered ca lc ium v tsgErdu l

e @ e

WAIER-BUFTAtO

THE CHILDREN'S TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE

Animals

THE CHILDRENS REASURY OF KNOWLEDGE

Animals

Translated fromKodansha's Children's Colour Encyclopaedia

Adapted and edited bYthe editors of FEP International Pte' Ltd'

Distributed by Time-Life Books

Printed in flong Kong

Text byYoshinori lmaizumiChief of Department of ZoologyNational Science Museum

Mizuko YoshiyukiCurator of Department of ZoologyNational Science Museum

Takaji MatsuiCurator of HerpetologyThe Japan Herpetology lnstitute

Tatsuo UdagawaChief, Division of Wild Life Management,Central Forest Experiment Station

Layout byMitsumasa Anno

Book design byA D 5

ACKNOWIEDGEMENTSPhOtographs, i l lustrations, and data appearing in this book havebeen made available through the courtesy of Eil i Hamano;Fuj ikato; Hi roshi Sugiura; Hi roshi Tanemura; J .0. ; Ju Nono-guchi ; Makoto l to ; Masaru Shimizu; Shigetaro Hirasawa;Shin l i Takano; Shinya Mor i ; Shinyo lgawa; Syosuke Takihara;Tadaaki lmaizumi; Takaji Matsui; Tetsuo Gyoda; TetsuoKamaoku; The Institute for Breeding Besearch, Tokyo Universityof Agriculture; Tokumitsu lwago; Tokutaro Tanaka; Toshi0noda; Tourist Division of Aomori prefecture of Japan; TouristDivision of Maisaka-cho, Shizuoka prefecture of Japan; UenoZoological Gardens.

The publishers wish to thank Mrs Fay palmer for her assistance.

@ Ktun ttd. 1970, 1975, 1980, 1tS2, tg83, 1984, 1985, tSg6, 1987, t98gAl riits rescrrcd

CO NTENTS

AMPHIBIANSSalamanders and their relativesNewts, sirens, and caecil iansFrogs and toadsLife stages of amphibians and repti les

REPTILESTurtles and tortoisesLizardsSnakesCrocodil ians

BIRDSFlightless birdsGrebes and loonsAlbatrosses and petrelsPelicans, cormorants, and their relativesHerons, egrets, and bitternsFlamingos, storks, and their relativesWater-fowl : Geese; DucksBirds of prey: Eagles and hawks; Falcons and their relativesFowl- l ike b i rds: PheasantsCranes and their relativesWaders and their relativesGulls, auks, and their relativesPigeons and their relativesPanots and their relativesCuckoos and their relatives()wls and frogmouths

'

Swiflq, humming-birds, trogons, and coliesKingfishers, hornbil ls, and their relativesWtiodpeckers, toucans, and their relativesPerching birds: Flycatchers, lyre-birds, and pittas; Larks, swallows, and orioles; Crows and bower-

birds; Birds-of-Paradise and titmice; Nuthatche\, babblers, bulbuls, and leafbirds; Dippers,wrens, thrushes, and mocking-birds; Warblers and wagtails; Shrikes and starl ings; Sun-birds,white-eyes, vire-os, and tanagers; Seed-eaters

MAMMALSMonotremes (egg-laying mammals)Marsupials (mammals with pouches)Insectivores (insect-eating mammals)Flying lemursBatsPrimatesEdentatesPango I i nsBabbits, hares, and pikasBodents (gnawing mammals)Whales, dollhins, and porpoisesCarnivores (meat-eating mammals)Th.e aardvark; the hyrax; the sea-cowElephants0dd-toed. hoofed animalsEven-toed, hoofed animals

INDEX

Page78I

1 01 4

1 51 61 82226

2728zg303132333438414344454647484950515253

656668707273758081828488909899

100104

111

Abbreviat ions used in th is ser ies:

TENGTHmetre - mcentimetre: cmkilometre : kmmill imetre : mm

MASSkilogramme : kggramme : gtonne : t

TIMEsecond : sminute : minhour - h

ABEAsquare metle : mtsquare centimetro : crTl2square millimetro : mmzhectare : ha

Y0tufEcubic metre : m3cubic centimetro : cn't3fitre : Imillilitre : m/

DENSITYkilogramme per cubic metre : kg/m3gramme per cubic centimetre : g/cm'

VETOCITY AND SPEEDmetre per second : m/sk i lometre per hour : km/h

POWEBWAtt : Wkilowatt : kWhorse power: h.p.

IEMPEBATUBETemperature (common) : degree Cels ius: oCAbsolute temperature : K

PBESSUBE (F0B METEoBorocY)m i l l i ba r : mbb a r : b

Amphib ians , rep t i les , b i rds , and mammals a re g r0ups o f land an imals w i th

backbones. Amphib ians are the most p r im i t i ve o f these an imals as they

are n0 t as deve loped as the res t . They inc lude f rogs , toads , sa lamanders '

newts . and caec i l ians . The i r sk ins a re mois t and s l imy bu t no t waterproo f .

Bes ides brea th ing th rough the i r lungs , amph ib ians are ab le t0 b rea the

through the i r sk ins . The bod ies o f amph ib ians undergo a spec ia l k ind o f

development (netanorphosis). The young /alza ( including the tadpole),

wh ich l i ves in the water and brea thes th rough g i l l s , deve lops in to a

land-dwel l ing adu l t , wh ich brea thes th rough lungs . Most amph ib ians

lay the i r eggs in water . The eggs are la id in a mass sur rounded by je l l y .

Amphibians are unable to l ive in salt water. They are cold-blooded (able

to change their body temperature to almost that of their surroundings).

t

SALAMAN DERSAND THEIR RELATIVES

The giant salamander, about 1.2 m long. is the largest l iv ing amphibian in the wor ld. l t isnat ive t0 Japan where i t l ives in mountain streams, feeding on shel l l ish, snai ls , f ish, andworms. ft is entirely aquatic (liues in the water) but must surface t0 breathe.

The bl ind salamander, 0r the olm, is about 25 cm long. +It does not develop beyond the larval form. lt lives inEurope in underground streams and caves where nol ight enters This has resul ted in the animal beingcolour less and bl ind. l t has an eel- l ike body wi th poor lydeveloped legs.

The red-backed salamander, about 12 cm long, has nolungs. l t is commonly found in the eastern Uni ted Stateswhere i t spends the day under logs and in rock crevices.

" Sa lamanders a re amphib ians w i th ta i l s . " The g ian t sa lamander .which is about 1.5 m long. is the largest. The pygmy salamander, whichis about 5 cm long. is the smallest. "Salamanders haue elongated ( long.thin) bodies and moist skin which often contains poison-glands. - M0stsa lamanders undergo a la rva l s tage, bu t s0me do no t deve lop lungs . . l ftheir tai ls are broken off they are able to grow new ones. . Salamandersl ive in streams, ponds, caves, and places which are dark and moist.

The tiger salamander, about 15 cm long, is found in the lJnited States andMexico. At times, the larva of the tiger salamander does not change(metamorphose) into the adult form. Such a larva is called the axolotl.Like a fully grown adult, it can produce young. Ttis condition is calledneot0ny.

The f i re salamander, about 25 cm long, is found in Europe,northern Afr ica, and Asia lVl inor. l t l ives in moist o laces inlowfands, breeds in water, and hihenates (becomes inactiveduring the winter) in the ground. lt secretes a p0ison throughi ts sk in.

+The hel lbender. f rom 40 to 60 cm long, has wr inkledskin. l t is aquat ic, feeding mainly on smal l f ishes.

The marbled salamander l ives on hi l ls ides near pondsand streams in the United States. lt is about 12 cm long

{

+The mud-puppy, about 30 cr i i long, does not developbeyond the larval form l t has wel l -developed legs andpermanent red gill tufts. lt is found in weedy streams The amphiuma, or congo eel , is about 90 cm long. l t

lives in stagnant, swampy water in the eastern UnitedStates l t has very smal l h indlegs as wel l as forelegs.

I

] I IEWTS, SIRENS, ANDCAECILIANS

A caeci l ian.

CAECILIANS. Caec i l ians , o r b l indworms, a re l imb less amphib-ians . .They have worm- l i ke bod ies . -The i r

sk in i s s l imy w i th f i sh- l i ke sca les embeddedin i t . rThere is a small tentacle between theeye and nostr i l . - The eyes are l idless. . Caeci l iansare burrowing animals which l ive in moist ground.

slREtlts- Sirens have eel- l ike bodies. . They have very small forelegs, but noh ind legs . -A l though they lack tee th , they have horny p la tes on the i rjaws to help them eat. . Sirens have no eyel ids. . They breathe throughthree permanent g i l l s .

. Newts, l ike salamanders, are tai led amphibians. However, the newt's

tai l is f latter than that of the salamander. * Newts take to the land without

ful ly developing into adults. .The immature adult is known as the elf

and has g i l l s . - l t remains on land fo r about th ree years and deve lops lungs .

It then returns to the water to breed and l ive for the rest 0f i ts l i fe. . As

an adult, i t no longer has gi l ls. - Newts have rows of teeth in the roofs

of their mouths. . They feed on insects, worms, and snai ls.

The great crested newt is about 14 cm long. The maleis crested and beaut i fu l ly coloured dur ing the mat ingseason. The great crested newt spends most 0f theyear on land, but lays its eggs in water. lt ranges from -northern and central Euro0e to central Russia.

about 70 cm long. l t l ives in shal lowof the south-eastern United States.

The lesser siren is between 15 and 30 cm long. lt livesin the streams of the south-eastern Uniled States.

The spotted newt, about 1 5 cm long, is found in the easternljnited States During its eft stage, it is known as thered ef t and l ives in damp, wooded places.

A newt

The marbled newt is about 13 cm long. l t is found inEurope in small , but deep, ponds and ditches whichhave plenty of water-plants.

The greater siren isponds and ditches

FROGS AND TOADS

The American tree-frog is aboulI t is found in North America.

2.5 cm long

White's tree-frog, about I cm long, is the most widespread of the tree-frogs inAustralia. lt is an expert tree climber and often perches among the leaves. lt feedsmainly on insects, but at t imes mav swal low a snai l whole.

The Gol iath f rog is the giant among f rogs and toads l t is about 30 cm long and maywe ighasmuchasadomes t i c ca t . Beh indeacheye i sag land tha t sec re tesapo i sonoussubstance The Gol iath f rog l ives in western Afr ica.

- F rogs and toads be long to the order Anura wh ich fo rms the la rges tgr0up o f amph ib ians . - They have la rge . power fu l h ind legs fo r leap ing .The i r h ind- fee t a re webbed. . They , have no ta i l s . They l i ve in warmregions and have moist skin. Those that l ive in deserts have tough, hornysk in . " F rogs and toads can brea the th rough the i r sk in . . The i r tonguesare st icky and can be shot out t0 catch small prey. . They feed mainly 0ninsects and worms. " Frogs and toads undergo netanorphosis (changein fo rm) . dur ing wh ich the young deve lop in to adu l ts . The young, ca l ledtadpo les , do no t resemble the adu l ts .

F I N G E B S A N D T O E S O F T R E E . F R O G SThe f ingers and toes of tree-frogs havela rge suc t ion pads wh ich enab le them t0hold onto the branches and bark of trees.

The rare New Zealand ta i led f rog. about 5 cm long, l ives on mountain r idges farf rom water. l t lays i ts eggs in moist p laces, under rocks or logs. Instead 0f hatchinginto tadpoles. the eggs hatch into smal l f rogs wi th ta i ls The tadp0le stage is thuscompletely bypassed As the newly hatched f rog grows, i t s lowly l0ses i ts ta i l

Fingerc

The giant t ree-f rog is about 11 cm long l t is found deepin the jungles of South America,

10

- l l t $rnann toad is about 15 cm long and l ives in Tr in idad and South America l t has a

fitrerer oodi and triangular head. The male helps t0 attach each egg to little pocketsx :nE ercr of the female There the eggs hatch and smal l toads emerge, having passedi l Eoxl ' : s tage beneath the mother 's moist sk in The Sur inam toad rarely leaves theor lg 1:s ong f ingers have star- l ike t ips which seem to act as feelers l t feeds mainlyx IST

The c lawed toad is between 10 and 12 cm long 0n threetoes of each hindleg are c laws which the toad uses t0 scratchfor food l t l ives i ts ent i re l i fe in ponds and lakes in cenlra land southern Afr ica When the ponds dry up, i t bur ies i tsel fin the mud and remajns there t i l l ra in f i l ls the ponds again.

- tc l l 'umoran horned toad of South America grows to a length of aboul 25 cm l t has a

rrg mnuh. horn- l ike bulges above the eyes, and is br ight ly coloured l t usual ly remainsnimeT r the sand or mud, wai t ing for mice and large insects whtch are i ls main prey.

The common toad, about 10 cm long, is found in northern and centra l Eur0pe andcentral Asia l t l ives in woods, gardens, and f ie lds, coming out only at n ight t0hunl l t has rough, moist sk in. l t feeds on insects, snai ls , and worms.

The common wood f rog, about 6 cm long, is found inn0rthern and centra l Europe and Asia l t is mainlynocturnal and l ives in moist o laces. l t has smooth,wet sk in

The s i lver-speckled f rog is only about 3 cm long l t is aleaf- f rog, l iv ing in t rees in the Camaroon and Congoforests of Africa

11

v0cAL sAcsMost male frogs and toads have vocalsacs to he lp them croak loud ly . Somefrogs have a sac in the throat, whileothers have a sac 0n either side of thehead. When the frog croaks, the vocalsac is in f la ted l i ke a ba l loon and ac tsas an ampli f ier. The loud croaks of themales a t t rac t the females dur ing the mat ingseas0n.

The North American bul l f rog, about 19 cm tong, is the largesl North American f rog. 11s0met imes eats smal l b i rds and tur t les. The female, which is larger than the male, hasbeen known t0 lay several thousand eggs at a t ime. Man eats th is f rog's legs which areconsidered a del icacv.

The midwife toad, about 5 cm long, rs a water- load whichl ives in Europe. Dur ing mat ing, the female lays the eggswhich the male fer t i l izes and then carr ies on his h indlegs andover h is back. For about three weeks, the male acts asmidwife, taking care 0f the eggs. When the larvae are fu l lydeveloped, the toad enters the water where the eggs hatchinto tadooles.II

IGoeldi 's f rog, about 4 cm long, l ives in theforests o{ Peru and Ecuador in South AmericaThe female carr ies the eggs in a pouch on herback. Eventual ly she goes into the water wherethe eggs hatch into tadpoles.

tThe anow-poison frogs of Central and South America are brighrly colouredand about 4 cm long. Their bri l l iant colours warn other animals thatthey are poisonous. Natives t ip their arrows with the poison which issecreted through the frog's skin. The male carries the eggs on his back.Even after hatching, the tadpoles cl ing to the father's back unti l theydeveloo further.

IA bul l f rog tadpole. This tadpole. ab0ut 14 cm long,is large and remains in th is form for one lo two years.

+ The South American bul l f rog is about20 cm long. l t does not lay i ts eggs inwater. l t bui lds a nest wi th s l ime andleaves, and lays its eggs there, surroundedby foam The metamorphosis of tadp0lesinto f rogs takes place in the foamy

I

12

The Asian horned toad is aboutl0 cm long and l ives in south-easternAsia l t looks l ike a dry, dead leaf .

The rare hairy f rog, about 10 cm long, is found in western Afr ica Dur ingrhe mating season, the male develops hair-like processes (projections)m i rs th ighs and s ides The

'hairs ' are actual ly long, th in outgrowths

of the skin. They help the f rog breathe more oxygen when i t becomesI0re acltve

la l lace's f ly ing f rog. about 7 cm long, is a t ree-f rog'oond in the rainforests of south-eastern Asia lt hasp{ormous, webbed feet which act l ike l i t t le oarachulesrf ien the f rog jumps f rom the branches of t rees. L iker l l f ly ing f rogs, i t g l ides rather than f l ies short d istances

Schreigel 's green I rog, about 5 cmlong. l ives on f lat ground al l overJapan. l ts eggs look l ike a p i le ofbubbles

The Japanese foam-nest ing t ree-f rog is about 8 cm long and green in c0lour. l t bui ldsi ts foam nest on branches overhanging water. As the female is lay ing the eggs, the maleusesh i sh ind legs tobea tup theegg je l l y i n t oa loam. The foamhardens to fo rmap ro tec t i vecrust round the egg. When the eggs halch, the foam sot lens and the tadpoles fa l l in tothe water below

The common edible f rog is usual ly found inshal low waters thr0ughout cenlra l Europe andAsia l ts h indlegs are considered a del icacy

Foam cover ing the eggs

13

LIFE STAG ESOF AMPHIBIANSAN D REPTILES

AMPHIBIANSFR0GS Frog eggs

Larvae wi th external g i l ls

"Amphib ians ha tch in the fo rm o f la rvae f rom je l l y -covered eggs . -The

larvae have ex terna l g i l l s and l i ve in water . -Amphib ians undergo a meta-morphos is in wh ich the la rva l fo rm deve lops in to the adu l t fo rm. " Dur ingth is change, legs deve lop and the g i l l s a re rep laced by lungs . In f rogsand toads, the tai l grows shorter and eventual ly disappears.

. Rept i les lay the i r eggs on land. " The eggs ha tch in to young wh ichresemble their parents. . The young of repti les do not pass through alarval stage. " Some repti les bear l ive young.

Toad eggs

Tadpoles l ive in water

Adul t Jrogs have lungsThey l ive both in waterand on land

Young salamanders l ive in water

Salamander eggs

REPTITES The embryo of a snakein the egg.

A tur t le hatching. An al l igator hatching

Snakes, a l l igators, and crocodi les, havea hard beak on the f ront of their mouths,cal led an egg-tooth, to break their wayout of the hard shell The egg-toothfal ls of f just af ter the animal hashatched.

A sea-turtle lays its eggs in the sandBefore returning to the sea, thetur t le covers the eggs which wi l lhatch in the warmth of the sun.

A snake hatching.

AOUATIC AMPHIBIANS

Throughout l i fe, these animals keep their g i l lsand l ive in the water.

SEMI-AOUATIC AMPHIBIANS TERRESTIAT AMPHIBIANS

The Sur inam toad l ives in thewater. but comes to thesurface to breathe throughits lunqs

Smooth-skin toad

AOUATIC REPIILES SEMI-AOUATIC BEPTILES ABBOBEAL REPTILES TERBESTIAT REPIILES

Whi!{a i led l izard

Chameleon.

BUBROWING REPTILES

Blind snake (afarre)Amphisbaena (felaw).

DESERT-LIVING BEPTILES

Sea-snake

Pancake tur t le

Tree-snake.

Wood turtle1 4

Turt les, crocodiles, l izards, snakes, and the lesser-known tuatara form thef ive malor o rders o f the c lass Bept i l ia . M i l l i ons o f years ago, dur ing theAge o f Rept i les , there were many more , such as the d inosaurs Most o fthese g ian ts have become ex t inc t . The bod ies o f rep t i les a re covered w i thdry , sca ly sk ins o r hard , bony p la tes . L ike the amphib ians , they are co ld -b looded. They are there fore found main ly in the t rop ics and warm p laces .Those in co ld reg ions h iberna te dur ing w in te r . Rept i les b rea the th roughlungs . Aquat ic rep t i les must sur face to b rea the a i r . Most rep t i les lay eggs .

TU RTLES AN DTORTOISES

vENrBAr (ABD0MTNAT) V|EW 0F A TURTTEThe bottom part of the turt le's shel l is cal led lhe plastron. The top pafi

of the shel l is cal led the carapace. Turt les l iving in the water have smallerplastrons and webbed feet to make swimming easier. Land turt les havelarger plastrons.

. The body of the turt le is enclosed in a hard shel l . 0nly i ts head, legs, andta i l can be seen. *When in danger , the tu r t le w i thdraws i t s head, legs ,and tai l within i ts shel l for protection. - Turt les are toothless. - Mostturt les l ive in ponds, lakes, or r ivers, but some l ive on land or in the sea.-A l l tu r t les lay eggs . The eggs are la id in the mud or sand where theyare warmed and hatched by the sun. " There are over 300 kinds 0f turt les.The smallest are the mud turt les. The largest are the leathery sea-

turt les. - Some turt les are very gentle animals and make good pets.

The soft-shelled turtle lives in lakes, rivers, and streams ltsbony shel l is thin and f lat and has a leather-l ike covering. Thisturt le has f leshy l ips and a long. f lexible snout.

The snapping tur t le is large wi th a long ta i l and acarapace about 45 cm in length. l t is an aggressiveanimal which can inf l ic t severe wounds. l t l ives inNorth America.

The matamata of South America belongs to the family of long-neckedturt les. l t has a neck that is longer than i ts back-bone, a long snorkel-l ike nose, and f r inges of sk in on i ts head. These f r inges move inthe water, attracting fish which the turtle catches by 0pening itslarge mouth and sucking rn the f ish.

The common musk tur t le emits a strong musky odour. l t grows toa length of about 12 cm and feeds on smal l amphibians and f ishes.I t is found along the At lant ic coast l ine of the south-eastern Uni tedStates.

Plastron of a land turtle

DIFFEBENI WAYS TURTTES WITHDBAW INTO IHEIB SHEI-LS

The box turt le withdraws i ts head

and legs so they are completelY en-

c losed in i t s she l l . Th is i s poss ib le

because of i ts hinged plastron whichcan shut t ightly against the carapaceat the front and back.

The gopher turt le f irst bends i ts headdownwards and then tucks i t in. How-ever, i ts claws and a small part ofi ts head are left st icking out.

The snake-necked tu r t le has such along neck that i t is unable to withdrawi t en t i re ly in to i t s she l l . Th isturt le can bend i ts long neck sidewayst0 conceal part ly i ts head in the looseskin of i ts shoulder. The neck, however.is exoosed beneath the front of thecara0ace,

16

The red-eared turtle's carapace is about20 cm long. The turtle gets its namefrom the red band behind its evesIt is often kept as a pet-

Tb radiated tortoise lives in the grasslands of southern Madagascar,d is strictly a land tortoise. lts carapace is about 40 cm long, and eachlae has a yellow spot with yellow bands radiating from it. This tortoisei:rds on cacti.

-Er re two species of giant land tortoise. 0ne is found in the Aldabra and Seychelle

sad n the Indian 0cean. the other in the Galapagos lslands in the Pacific 0cean. Thegr Gafapagos tottoise (ablve) is the largest. lts carapace is about a metre long andr rlrlCrs about 230 kg. Giant t0rtoises are s0 gentle that children are permitted to ridefiw in zoos.

Th loggerhead is a sea-turtleuqhing about 300 kg. lt hasplile-shaped legs f or swim-mg. hs carapace is over aEoE long. lt lives in tropicalrl srttrooical seas.

The hawksbi l l tur t le 's carapace is about g0 cm long. l ts beak looksl ike that of a hawk. l ts legs are paddle-shapped for swimming. l t l ivesin the Paci f ic and lndian 0ceans and is valued for i ts shel l . which is usedfor ornaments.

The green turtle is edible. lt grows to a length of 1.2 m and weighs between135 and 180k9 l t is the best-known sea-tur t le and l ives in t ropicalwaters.

The leather-back turtle's carapace is about 2 m long. This turtle weighsabout 650 kg. lts hard bony shell is covered by a leathery skin. lt livesin the warm waters around the Equator and is the largest of the sea-turtles.

LIZARDS

The tokay, or g iant , gecko is about 30 cmlong and is the largest of i ts k ind l t hasa loud voice and gets i ts name from the' to

kay. to. .kay ' cry i t makes l t is verycommon in south-eastern Asia where i tl ives in t rees as wel l as in houses

DIFFERENT FEET IN THE TIZARD FAMITY

A foot of the agamid I izard

A foot of thefan-footed gecko

A foot of the

- L izards are sca ly rep t i les w i th we l l -deve loped legs and long ta i l s . - Mostl i zards have ear open ings and movab le eye l ids . . Most a re ab le to shedtheir tai ls, which can be regenerated (grown again). . Lizards, except theg i la monsters and the beaded l i zards , a re non-po isonous - There areabout 2 500 spec ies vary ing in s ize f rom about 5 cm to 3 m. . L izards l i vein the warm reg ions o f the wor ld

G E C K O S"Most geckos are f rom 10 to 15 cm long -Under the i r toes are c l ing ing pads tha tenable them to walk up walls, trees, and very smooth surfaces without fal l ing off..Almost al l geckos are nocturnal (act ive at night). "They have vert ical papi ls (blackpar t in the midd le o f the eye) . -The eye l ids 0 f most geckos are no t movab le . .They

are ab le to p roduce sounds rang ing f rom a ch i rp to a bark . *There are about 300spec ies o f geckos .

* The benl- toed gecko or 'chee-

chak rs commonly found inhouses rn Afr ica and south-eastern Asia l t is f rom 7 t0'10

cm long and is act ive atn ight .

The green t ree-gecko is about +

20 cm long and i ives in south 'eastern Asia and MadagascarI t is br ight green, an unusualcolour for geckos, and movesabout most ly in the dayt ime.

Unl ike most o lher l izards, the gecko does not havemovable eyel ids. l ts eyes are covered bya wett ransparentmembrane which i t c leans wi th i ts t0ngue General ly .geckos that are nnctunal (active at night) have verticalpupils The geckos that are diurnal (active during theday), however, have round pupi ls

[ ) ther l izards, l ike the agamid, have movable eyel idsThe pupi ls of the eyes are round.

The ' f ly ing ' gecko is about 20 cm long

and l rves in the forests of south-easternAsia. 0n ei ther s ide of i ts body andhead are wide f laos of sk in whichspread out and enable the gecko to g l idefrom higher to lower levels when i tjumps. The feet of th is gecko are webbed

THE TUATARA /*The tuatara i a l izard-like repti le that belongs toif iorder of repti lesthat, except for this single species, became exti; ifr 100 mill ion yearsago. +lt is cal led a l iving fossi l i t loo,K:almost exactly l ike i tspreh is to r ic ances tors . * l t now thp lsmal l i s lands o f I the coas to f Nor th l s land, New Zea land. " ,66 l i zards , insec ts , ear thw0rms,and mol luscs . * l t s eggs , wh ich in ho les in the ground, requ i reabout one vear to ha tch .

- -es-c l imb ing l i zards have we l l -deve loped

' rgers and toes , and long ta i l s .

The Draco

-re haco in flight

- l * l raco. about 25 cm long, is a smal l t ree-dwel l ing

;r- : 'ound in the jungles of south-eastern Asia. l trex n ngs' which are actual ly scaly membranes that=r sread open t0 enable the Draco to g l ide

-: trds lhat l ive on the ground have strong feet and toes. Some!r ihem can run on their hindlegs with their forefeet raisedrorrre the ground.

Je maf lne iguana, about 1.5 m long, is foundmnu n the Galapagos ls lands where i t l ivesm --re seashore. lt swims well and takes refugeff :?e sea when frightened, but never goesm -il out t0 sea or too far inland lt has long:iar: :o tear ofi the seaweed that it feeds on-ru

npnne iguana is the only lizard that makesrrr u: the sea.

-;afds that l ive in deserts often have fr inged toes so that they are ableu npsr€ quickly over the sand. Some have very short legs and some are3tv tegless. Desert l izards are active at night and can burrow beneath$rxg surface of the sarid.- ru *nge-toed l izard is about 10 cm long and can run *Dn - ' t Dyer loose sand l t l ives in the M0iave and Sonora

The common iguana grows to a length o{ about 2 m l t l ives in the t ropical forests of SouthAmerica. l t is a t ree-dwel l ing animal but wi l l take readi ly to water when alarmed.

The Japalura t ree l izard is about 25 cm long includingi ts very long ta i l l t has powerfu l c laws and a jagged

crest extending from its head down its back The Japa-lura t ree l izard l ives in southern Asia.

The Austra l ian f r i l led l izard, about 70 cm long. is found +on the ground as wel l as in t rees. At i ts neck is a loosescaly membrane which is normal ly fo lded neat ly inpleats. When the l izard is a larmed, i ts mouth openswide and the scaly membrane stands up l ike a f r i l l .Thus, the l izard f r ightens away i ts enemies.

The common basi l isk, about 75 cm long, l ives in t ropical America +I t is able to run very fast on i ts h indlegs. l ts body is s0 l ight that i tcan even run across the surface of water for short distances

The horned toad, about 11 cm long, l ives in the desertsof North America. l t is real lv a l izard, but has a toad-l ike appearance. When i t is angry or a larmed, i t shootsout tears of b lood.

ieser: of North America

1 9

CHAMETEOTIIS-Chameleons have a strong, prehensi le (grasping) tai l , and have toestha t a re espec ia l l y adapted to c l imb ing . -They are the on ly rep t i les tha tcan shoot their tongues out for a distance, hit their prey, and quickly retractthe tongue with the prey. -Their skins can change colour from greenthrough yel low to dark grey. -Each eye moves independently of the other.so the chameleon can look in dif ferent direct ions at the same t ime.

SKINKS-Skinks gerrera l ly l ive on the ground. -Their long bodies are smoothand covered with shiny, f lat scales. - Most skinks have short legs whilstothers are legless. - They have tapering tails and their total body lengthrarely exceeds 30 cm. -There are about 600 species of skinks.

The little brown skink is found in the United States.I t is about 12 cm long and pale brown in colour wi thdark brown sides.

The Afr ican f ive- l ined ski r ik , about 25 cm long, l ives+around human dwel l ings Ieeding mainly on insects. Theblack body of the young is l ined wi th f ive blue str ipesand tapers t0 a beaut i fu l b lue ta i l . The adul t is d i f ferenl lycoloured. The female has golden str ipes 0n a brownbody whi ls t the male has a yel low l ip and a black throaton its brown bodv.

THE EYELID OF THE SKINKLizards have lower eyel ids that are movable and scaly. Some skinks,however, have a transparent plate or

'window' in their lower eyel id. Whenthe skink burrows, the

'window' protects the eye and enables the skinkto see.

* The size of the window varies in the differentskinks. The l i t t le brown skink has a small'window' in each of its lower evelids

* The Travancore skink has a 'window' occupyingmore than half of each lower evel id.

* The l id less skink has no eyel id, but a 'window

ly ing in p lace over the eye at a l l t imes.

T H E I O N G U E O F I H E C H A M E T E O NThe chameleon can shoot i ts t0ngue out of i tsmouth with great accuracy. The st icky end ofthe tongue can p ick up an insec t . The chameleonquickly retracts i ts tongue and eats the insect.

0utwards

A forefoot of the chameleon.

A hindJoot of the chameleon.

T H E F E E T O F I H E C H A M E L E O N

Each foot has two digits (toesl that are oppositethree digits. 0n the forefeet, two digits face

outwards and three digits face inwards. 0n

the hind-feet two digits face inwards and threedigits face outwards. This arrangement enablesthe chameleon to g rasp branches and main ta ini ts ba lance.

I The green anole. about 20 cm long, is found in the south-' eastern Uni ted States, the Bahamas, and Cuba. l t l ives

in t rees and is a lso known as the American chameleon.However, anoles actual ly belong to the iguana fami lyThe green anole can change i ts colour. The male hasa throat sac which becomes larger when the anole isa larmed.

THE TAIT OF THE I-IZARDlf a l izard is caught by the tail, the tail breaksoff and wiggles while the l izard runs away. Thelizard is then able to grow a new tail.

+ The Flor ida sand-skink, about 5 cm long, is a burrowingl izard. l t has a worm-l ike body wi th very smal l legs. Withi ts wr iggl ing movements, i t can

'swim' through the sand.

I t has very smal l eyes and no external ear 0peningsSand-skinks are found in Flor ida and south-western Asia

The giant sk ink of the Solomon ls lands is the largestof the skinks. l t grows t0 about 60 cm. l t has a prehensi le

Jackbon's chameleon. f rom 20 to 25 cm long,l ives onlv in Afr ica. The male has three hornson i ts head.

20

l . Some l izards that l ive on the ground have shortlegs and long ta i l s .

2. Some l izards have very small legs that lookl i ke f ins .

In some types of ground-dwell ing l izards, thelegs have completely disappeared. Leglessl izards sl i ther l ike snakes and can often moveaway much faster than l izards that have legs.

The glass-snake, about 1.2 m long, is real ly a legless+lrzzrd l t has the l izard 's abi l i tv to break ofJ i ts ta i l andgntw a new one. lt is found in Europe. Africa, Asia,and North America.

F TThe al l igator l izard is found in North America. l t l00ks al i t t le l ike an al l igator wi th i ts scaly body. l t ranges insize from 25 to 50 cm.

The cylindrical skink, from 25 t0 40 cm long, is found innorthern Afr ica and southern Europe

3.

The giant l izard of Mal i , about 2 m long, l ives in south-easlernAsia- l t eats smal l animals and bi rds ' eggs 11 has a very strong

The gila monster (/e/f) lives in Mexico and in the desertsof Ar izona. Nevada. and Utah in the Uni ted Stales l t isabout 60 cm long l ts sk in has a beaded appearanceI ts b i te is poisonous, a l though not as deadly as the v iper 's .The gi la monster moves rather s lowly and cann0t pursuei ts prey. Therefore, i t feeds mainly on animals that cannotrun away, such as nest l ings and baby mammals. l t a lsofeeds on eggs of rept i les and bi rds.

The Komodo dragon (righi is the largest lizard in the world.I t is over 3 m in length and weighs about 130 kg. l t hasstrong c laws, sharp teeth, and a long, snake- l ike tongue.The Komodo dragon feeds on smal l deer, p igs, and deadanimals. l t l ives in the Sunda ls lands ol Indonesia, part ic-u lar ly the is lands of Komodo, Rinja. and Flores

tail that il uses to orotect itself

The common red worm l izard. aboul 40 cm long,is a burrowing animal that resembles the earth-worm. l t has no legs and i ts long cyl indr icalbody is r inged. l t is found in South America.

STTAKES- Snakes are repti les without l imbs, eyel ids, ear openings, or breastbones." They have rows of scales on their skins which they shed at least once ayear. -Their bodies consist of r ibs and vertebrae (spinal bones). Larger

snakes have up to 400 vertebrae. " They move by contracting (tightening)

the muscles on either side of their spines alternately. This makes their

hodies undulate (move in horizontal waves). - Al l snakes can swim. - Snakeshave teeth which slant backwards. Poisonous snakes have langs which

cafiy vennn (poison). . The tongues of snakes are narrow and forked at

the t ip. They also help the snake's sense of smell . . Snakes do not chewtheir food. They are able to swallow their prey whole as their iaws are

extendable. - Al l snakes are carnivorous.

The rel iculated pythgn, abgut g m long, is the lgngest snake in the wor ld. l t can swal low The Indian python, about 6.5 m long, has a th ick body and is a good swimmer. l t is found

a pig. but usual ly feeds on smal ler mammals l t l ives in the jungles of south-eastern Asia rn India, south-eastern Asia, and southern China

PYIHONS, BOAS, AND ANACONDAS- Pythons, boas, and anacondas make up thelanl ly Boidae. - These snakes are primit ive

and have the vestiges (traces of organs which no longer function) of the hip girdle

and h ind l imbs, . The la rges t snakes be long to th is fami ly . * They are non-po isonous

and ki l l their prey hy constr ict ing (strangl ing) them.

The rubber boa is only about 60 cm long and l ives in +damo forests on the Pacific coast of North AmericaWhen an enemy approaches, i t h ides i ts head under i tsbody and st icks up i ts ta i l which looks l ike a head. Thusi t exposes i ts least vulnerable part .

Mexico to the centra l parts of Argent ina. l t l ives inscrub and trees in dry forests Pythons, boas, and anacondas have verY

reduced l imbs which are no longer usefulin help ing the snake to move Such l imbsare cal led vest ig ia l .

The emerald t ree-boa, about 2.5 m long, l ives in the t ropical -jungles of South America When i t is rest ing or wai t ing for prey,r t balances i ts coi ls over a branch l t can then easi ly uncoi l . hangfrom i ts ta i l , and quickly st r ike at i ts prey l t feeds mainly onbirds, squinels, and l izards.

Part of the skeleton of a python showing the 'quadrate

bone' attaching the lowerjaw to the skul l . This bone acts as a movable jo int s0 that the jawbones can unhingeto enable the mouth to open wide. The python is thereby able to swal low large mammals.

The anaconda, about 7.6 m long, though shorter thanthe ret iculated python is the heaviest snake in the wor ld.I t feeds mainlv on bi rds and mammals and l ives in SouthAmerica. I

I

i

ij

The hip g i rd le.

Hind linb

COTUBBID SNAKES- Many snakes are harmless or only sl ightly p0lsonous. . These snakes,col lect ively cal led colubrids, form the lani ly Colufuidae. -They totalabout two-thirds of the world's snakes. * Some colubrids are terrestial(land-dwelling), olhers arborcal (tree-dwelling), yet others barrowing(underground-dwell ing), or aquatic (waler-dwell ing).

-.lt bronze tree-snake, about 1.5 m long, has

r or4 narrow body well-suited to its lifel r rees. l t is found in India.

-nr long-nosed whip-snake is about 1.4 m +

rm ,e4th lt lives in trees in south-easternAs,a"

t common hog-nosed snake, from 60 to 80 cm long, pretendsr be fierce, but is actually harmless. lt appears dangerous. ltrrsses. and often puffs its neck, threatening to strike lf theselkcats fail, the snake rolls over and plays dead. lt has anforned snout which it uses for digging. lt feeds mainly on toads,d is found in the eastern United States. +

The str iped sand-snake is about40 cm long and l ives in the desertof central Australia.

The paradise snake, about 1.2 m long, has acolourful oattern on its skin lt lives in theforests of Malaysia and Indonesia

+ The mangrove snake, about 2 m long, lives insouth-eastern Asia. lt preys on birds andtheir eggs.

The Afr ican egg-eat ing snake, about 76 cm long, is able to swal lowa hen's egg whole. l t has a specia l row of neck-bones wi th pointedends in the throat passage. These bones puncture the egg,so that only its contents are swallowed. The snake then spits

The red racer is a fast-moving North American snake.

1 lt is found in deserts, and feeds on lizards and otherI smal l animals.

* The chequered keelback, about 1 2 m long, spends muchof i ts t ime in water. l t l ives in southern Asia.

The common water-snake, found in wet areas of +south-eastern Asia. feeds uoon fishes and amohibiansIt is about 65 cm long.

+ The common garter-snake, about 60 cm long, l ives ingrassy f ie lds near lakes or .ponds. l t is found in NorthAmerica

The wart snake, about 2 m long, lives near water in south- +eastern Asia. This snake does not seek its prey, butwaits for the prey to approach and springs upon it.

POISONOUS SNAKES* Po isonous snakes can be d iv ided in to two groups . - ( )ne group inc ludes

cobras , sea-snakes , mambas, cora l snakes , and k ra i ts wh ich a l l have

f ixed fangs . .The o ther g roup inc ludes v ipers and ra t t lesnakes wh ich

have fangs that can be folded back when not in use.

The black mamba, about 2 m long, is found onlyin Afr ica l t is a t ree-dwel l ing snake that at lackswith unbel ievable soeed. l t feeds on bi rds andsmal l mammals.

The spi t t ing cobra, about 1.6 m long. l ives in southern Afr ica.It can eject venom from the openings at the front of its fangs to

a distance of 1.5 to 3 m. l t a lways aims the venom at the eyes

of i ts aggressor, thus bl inding the lat ter temporar i ly orpermanent ly

The Indian cobra, about 1,5 m long. l ives in India and south-eastern Asia l t has a spectacle-

shaped or c i rcular pat tern on i ts hood When annoyed or exci ted. i t ra ises about a th i rd

of its body, spreads its hood, and makes a loud hissing sound before it strikes. lts venom

mav cause death to man.

True coral snakes are found mostly in Central and South America. ()thers

are found in As ia . A f r i ca . and Aust ra l ia . A l l have bod ies banded in b lack ,

ye l low, and red , the b lack bands bordered by ye l low. They are p0 isonous

snakes , bu t se ldom b i te peop le .

The common coral snake,75 to 100 cm long, is re lated to thecobras l ts head has character is t ic indigo blue, yel low, andindigo blue bands. l t l ives in the Uni ted States and Mexico.

The black and vel low sea-snake, about ametre l0ng, is h ighly adapted to l i fe in thesea. l t l ives in t ropical waters in the Gul fof Mexico. the Indian ()cean. and the Paci f icOcean. This snake does not lay eggs, butgives bi r th to l ive young that look exact lyl ike their parents.

The banded krai t , about 1.5 m long, l ives in south-eastern Asia ' l t has br ight , wide yel low

and black bands, and is considered a dangerous snake.

Ihe k ing cobra, about 5 m long. isprobably the largest venomous snake inthe wor ld l t l ives in jungles as wel l ason pla ins in India, southern Chlna, andsouth-eastern Asia. The k ing cobra isa very aggressive and dangerous snake.I t feeds almost exclusivelv 0n othersnakes. l t is the only nest-bui ld ingcobra

TYPES OF FANGS

1. A fang o f the Ind ian cobra .

2. A fang of the spit t ing cobra.which is ejected from a hole at

It shows the passage of venom

the f ron t o f the fang.

o

24

VIPEBS- Vipers are poisonous snakes with en-la rged fangs . " When not in use , thefangs are folded back against the roof ofthe skul l . They are erected only when as t r i ke i s made. -There are two fami l iesof vipers, the pit-vipers and the true vipers

(o f ten ca l led the 0 ld Wor ld v ipers ) . -The

pit-viper is dist inguished by two facialpits si tuated between each nostr i l andeye. -The pits are sensit ive t0 heat andenable the viper to detect warm-bloodedprey.

Bussel l 's v iper, about 1 5 m long, l ives *m India l t is nocturnal , and feeos onfrogs and small mammals. lt bears itsyoung live and is said to be able togive birth to almost sixty at a time.

+ V ipe rs have f o l d i ngfangs, unlike other poi-sonous snakes . Whenfangs are not erectedthey can be folded in theclosed mouth.

+ The Green Pit Viper is about a metrelong. Although i t is a small snake, i tsvenom is dangerous. l t has a strong,grasping tai l and l ives in trees. l t isfound in Taiwan and south.easternAsia-

The side-winder is from 40 to 60 cm long lt lives in the deserts 0f the south-westernUni ted States and moves s ideways, leaving S-shaped t racks in the sand. l t has a hornover each eye and is somet imes cal led the horned rat t lesnake.

The puff-adder, about a metre long,is found in Afr ica and Asia MinorI t makes wheezing and puf f ing soundswhen alarmed.II

The cottonm0uth. 0r water moccasin,about 1.2 m long, is a swamp snakefound in the south-western United States.I t feeds on f ish, f rogs, and smal l mammalsWhen alarmed, i t opens i ts mouth ex-posing the cot tony, whi te l in ing. hencerts name

The eastern diamond-back rat t ler , about 2 m long, is the largest rat t lesnake l t l ives in thesouth-eastern Uni ted States.

The gaboon v iper, about 1.5 m long, has a broad head and a th ickbody which is pat terned in detai l . l t has l0ng langs and potentven0m. Fortunately, i t is normal ly s luggish l f i t at tacks. however,i t s t r ikes swi f t ly and may not let go t i l l i ts v ict im is dead. l t l ives

Batt lesnakes are pit-vipers. The ratt lesnake derives i ts name from the structurewhich forms a ratt le at the end of i ts tai l . The ratt le consists of up to 10 hol low,loose ly in te r lock ing . horny segments . Two to four new segments a re addedeach year , 0ne every t ime the snake sheds i t s sk in . When the snake shakesi ts ta i l rap id ly , the ra t t le makes a no ise wh ich serves t0 f r igh ten the snake 'senemres .

There are about 20 spec ies 0 f ra t t lesnakes th roughout the Amer icas andCanada. They are found mainly in the drier parts of the south-western UnitedStates.

Pits of pit-vipers l ie betweeneach nostr i l and the eve

in the rain-forests of Alrica

25

CROCODILIANS . Crocod i les , a l l iga tors , and the lesser -known gav ia ls and ca imans be longto the order Crocodil ia. -They are the surviving relat ives of the dinosaursand are the la rges t o f the l i v ing rep t i les . -They l i ve in the t rop ics . -A l -

though best adapted to the water, they often go on land to l ie f lat on theirbe l l ies and bask in the sun. -Thev can wa lk and even run shor t d is tanceson the i r four shor t legs -Crocod i l ians have lea thery sk in w i th hornyscales. - Their bodies taper to heavy, f lat tai ls which are used for swimmingand also as a powerful weapon for batt ing prey. -They have strong jawsand cone-shaped teeth, used not for chewing but for seizing and holdingprey . -The food is , however , ' chewed 'by a spec ia l par t o f the s tomach.. The upper jaw is movable. - Crocodil ians lay eggs.

DIFFEBETCES BETWEEIII CBOGODITES AIIID ATTIGATOBSThe most marked dif ference between the crocodile and the al l igator is in theposit ion of the teeth. The fourth tooth on either side of the crocodile's lowerpr is large. When its mouth is shut, these two teeth ptotrude (stick out)and each can be seen clearly on either side of the jaw. The teeth on the lowerlar of the al l igator, however, cannot be seen when i ts mouth is shut. Anotherdif ference is that the al l igator has a broader, more rounded snout.

Crocod i I e 'shead

Al I i gator 'shead

EAYIAI-S6ar ia ls resemble c rocod i les and a l l iga tors ,hrt have longer, narrower muzzles. Both jawshare close-set teeth. Gavials feed almostert irely on f ish.

The Indian gavia l , between 4.5 and 6 mlong, l ives in the waters of the Ganges.* M a h a n a d i , B r a h m a p u t r a , a n d I n d u sBivers.

The eyes, ears, and nostr i ls of the crocodil ianare situated at the top of the head. The animalcan therefore use these organs while the rest ofi ts body is underwater. When i t is completelysubmerged. i t s ears and nos t r i l s a re c losed byvalves and a transparent membrane protects theeyes. As the mouth is not watert ight, f laps coverthe windpipe and gul let (passage leading to thes tomach) dur ing d ives .

The sal t -water crocodi le is found *i n s o u t h - e a s t e r n A s i a a n d N e wGuinea l t is f rom 4.2 to 6 m longand has the reputat ion of being aman-ealer

The American crocodi le is f rom 3.6 to 6 m long l t l ivesin the southern parts of North America (Flor ida, Louis iana,and Mississ ippi) , the West Indies, Central America, andColombia and Ecuador in South America. l ts readinesst0 take t0 the sea explains i ts wide range.

Al though i ts name is the Malayan gavia l , th is creatureis of ten known as the fa lse gavia l because i t does notbelong to the gavia l fami ly. l t is actual ly a crocodi le.from 3 to 5 m long, and lives in the rivers of the MalayPeninsula and Indonesia

The Mississ ippi a l l igator , about 3 m long, l ivesin the swamps of the Mississ ippi River del taand the Everglades of Flor ida in the south-eastern uni ted states

A lest African dwarf crocodile South American caimans.

Fourth tooth of lower jaw

Birds are the only animals with feathers. Like mammals, birds are warm-blooded. They have beaks which contain nostr i ls. They do n0t have teeth.The forel imbs of most birds are modif ied into wings that enable them t0f l y . The ske le ton o f b i rds i s l igh t because most o f the bones are ho l low.All birds have two legs. When standing, birds are supported on their toeson ly . The i r hee ls a re ra ised o f f the ground B i rds lay eggs in nes ts . Theparents take care o f the i r young, o r ch icks .

Many species of birds are now extinct (dead) because man has interferedin the i r na tura l sur round ings . Because o f g rowing concern fo r the surv iva land protection of birds, reserves, bird sanctuaries, and parks have beenestab l i shed, as we l l as laws govern ing the hunt ing o f b i rds .

FLIGHTLESS BIRDS

; : - . - - i - ' : f e o rde r Sphen i sc i f o rmes , a re f l i gh t l ess , wa te r -dwe l l i ng b i r ds f ound on l y- : - : S : - : - : . r H e m i s p h e r e

ls:- : -es aboyel , of the order Struth i0ni formes, are the largest l iv ing bi rds,' : - - : : ' r in Afr ica and Arabia. The rhea l rbelowl , of the order Bhei formes, is' : - - : : - , n Sou th Amer i ca

The kiwi (abovel, oI the order Apterygiformes, is a rare bird found only in NewZeafand. The tinanou lbelowl, of the order Tinamiformes, is found only in Southand Central America.

The cassowary (abovel and the emu (belowl, of the order Casuariformes, arelarge, f l ight less birds. The emu is found in Austral ia, while the cassowary l ivesin New Guinea, Austral ia. and adjacent islands.

GREBES ANDTOONS

The pied-bi l led grebe l ives along lake shores l t rangesfrom North America to southern Argentina. l ts bi l l isgrey and black.

-Grebes belong to the order Podicipediformes. .They are medium-sizedwater-birds good at swimming and diving. . From a distance they lookl ike ducks, but they sit higher in the water, and have longer necks and m0res lender , po in ted b i l l s . -Grebes have very shor t ta i l s . .The i r fee t a redifferent from most water-birds. Instead of being connected by a web,the toes of the grebe are fr inged separately. - Grebes feed mainly on smallf ish. .Al l grebes breed around fresh water.

Dur ing cour tsh ip , the male and the female grebes together bu i ld a nes t madeof grasses. Four or f ive eggs are then laid in the nest which f loats on thesurface of the water. When the oarent birds have to leave the nest to lookfor food, they cover i t with grass so that the eggs cannot be seen. Afterthe eggs have hatched, both parents share the task of feeding the chicks.

Grebes are very quick and agi le in the water. When seeking food oravoiding danger, they dive under water where they can remain for as long as

30 seconds. Grebes can a lso s ink s lowly in to the water t i l l on ly the i r eyesand bi l ls are level with the surface.

The red-necked grebe breeds in quiet , marshyponds, but winters on seacoasts in North America,Asia, and Europe

The great crested grebe gets its namefrom its orominent ear tufts. lt is loundin the Eastern Hemisphere f rom Eurasiaand Africa t0 Australia lt is large'measur ing about 48 cm in length

r00Ns" Loons, or divers, belong to the order Gavi i formes.- They are water-birds. . They have powerful legs andlarge , webbed fee t . -They are exce l len t sw immersand d ivers . . The i r long , po in ted b i l l s a re su i ted tocatching f ish. . During the breeding season, loons

l ive in the northern forests and tundras of Americaand Europe. They migrate in winter to northernAfrica and Central America.

The black-necked grebe l ives in reed-fr inged lakes in Europe, Asia, southernAfrica. and western North America. lthas vellowish ear tufts and its beak iss l ight ly upturned.

The little grebe lives in lakes withdense vegetat ion in Europe, Afr ica. Asia.Austra l ia. and some Paci{ ic ls lands. l thas a yel low-t ipped bi l l . l ts body isabout 25 cm

The black-throated loon nests on lakes of northernEurope, Asia, and the western United States. lthas a black throat and a l ight grey head. l t canstay under water for over a minule. lt grows t0 alength of aboul 68 cm

The red-throated loon is the smal lest of the loons. l t hasa reddish-brown, t r iangular patch on i ts throat . l t l ivesin tundra areas and grows t0 a length of about 63 cm.

29

A floating nest of the little grebe

The young of a little grebe.

ALBATROSSES ANDPETRE tS

Albatrosses are best adapted to l i fe on the ocean. They can go to sea forweeks or months, sleeping 0n the surface of the ocean, drinking sea-water,and re tu rn ing to land on ly to b reed. A lba t rosses have long w ings wh ichthey use fo r soar ing and g l id ing on a i r cur ren ts . The bes t known in the

Southern Hemisphere is the wander ing a lba t ross , w i th a g rea t w ing-spreadof 3 .6 m.

Dur ing the days o f s low sa i l ing-sh ips , sa i lo rs k i l led a lba t rosses fo rf resh meat desp i te the be l ie f tha t k i l l i ng an a lba t ross brought bad luck .The popu la t ion o f a lba t rosses was fu r ther reduced in the n ine teenth centurywhen there was a demand for their feathers as mattress stuff ing. TheNorth Pacif ic albatrosses were almost wiped out unti l a law made theirnes t ing grounds a reserva t ion , and the demand fo r fea thers dec l ined.

The black-footed albatross breeds mainlyin the Midwav ls lands and other is landson the same lat i tude as Japan. l t isdark grey in colour and has a wing-spreado f 2 1 m .

"A lba t rosses and pe t re ls be long to the order Proce l la r i i fo rmes. .They

are marine birds that l ive on the ocean and breed on remote islands in the

Sr ,u th Pac i f i c . "Thev are exce l len t f l i e rs . -The i r fee t a re webbed. -They

have s t rong, hooked b i l l s . .They are o f ten ca l led tube-nosed swimmers

because 0f the structure of the nostr i ls. .They spend most of their t ime in

the air and water. and come t0 land onlv to nest.

Stel ler 's a lbatross was once consideredalmost extinct because man had hunted itfor its feathers. lt was found in lar!e numbersalong the coasts of the Ber ing Sea and evenin northern Cal i fornia a century ago. l t isnow numer0us only in Japan where i t isprotected bv law

The Laysan albatross breeds in the Leeward ls lands nearthe Hawairan ls lands. l t has a wing-spread of near ly2 1 m. l t is a North Paci f ic a lbatross.

o

PETRELS. Pet re ls a re smal le r re la t i ves o f the a lba t rosses . - L ike them, oe t re ls have hard ,hooked b i l l s , and tubu la r nos t r i l s . .They are s t rong in f l igh t , bu t f lap the i r w ingsmore often than albatrosses do. . Petrels l ive on al l oceans, especial ly in the An-ta rc t i c reg ion . .They lay on ly one egg dur ing the breed ing season and bo th sexescare fo r the i r young.

The snowy petre l has a snow-whi te body wi thblack eyes and bi l l . l t is the only petre l found inin the southernmost parts of the Antarct ic region

The giant petre l is the largest of the petre ls

wi th a wing-spread of about 2 4 m. l t l ives inregions around the Antarct ic . feeding on f ish,shr imps, and occasional ly a y0ung penguin

The wander ing albatross is thebest known of its kind in theSouth Paci f ic l ts wing-spread of3.6 m is the largest of a l l l iv ingbirds. The adul t is pure whi lewi th b lack wing t ips.

f"-*.

c

PE tICANS,COBMORANTS,AND THEIRBE TATIVES

lhe whi te pel ican is a lmost 1.5 m in length, The t ips of i ts wings are black l t is found inNorth America and nests on islands in freshwater lakes and ponds.

The great, or common, cormoranlis found in Europe, Asia, Africa,Australia, New Zealand, andNorth America. lt nests incolonies on rockv cliffs.

- Pe l i cans , cormorants , and the i r re la t i ves be long to the order Pe lecan i -formes. .They are large aquatic bitds (water-birds) with webbed feet.-They have shor t legs and la rge w ings . .They can f l y and swim we l l ..The i r beaks are long. -Pe l i cans and cormorants ea t f i sh as do the i rre la t i ves the anh ingas , boob ies , gannets , and f r iga te-b i rds . -They l i vemain ly in tempera te reg ions .

Pelicans are good swimmers and divers. They have a pouch which hangsfrom the lower bi l l and throat. They feed mainly on f ish which they catchby plunging into the water. In f l ight, their necks are curved in an

'S' shape.When on land they waddle clumsily on their short, stout legs. They nestin marshes or on islets of lakes and lagoons.

Cormorants are used by Japanese f ishermen to help catch f ish. The f isher-man t ies a cord round the cormorant 's throat, t ight enough so that i t canbreathe but cannot swallow the f ish. While the f isherman remains in theboat and holds the cord, the bird dives into the water. When the cormorantca tches a f i sh in i t s long , hooked b i l l , the f i sherman pu l l s the b i rd back tothe boat and takes the f ish. At intervals. the f isherman rewards thecormorant with a f ish to eat.

The Guanav cormorant is found inChi le and Peru. l t is about 76 cmin length. The droppings of theGuanay cormorant are a richsource of fertilizer in Peru.

The red-faced cormorant is larger than thepelagic shag, but rarer l t breeds on is landsin the northern North Paci f ic 0cean and theBer ing Sea.

The pelagic shag is a dark, red{acedcormorant with two crests 0n its head.t t breeds in colonies on is lands innorthern Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, theBer ing Sea, the Arct ic Ocean, and alongthe western coast 0f North America.

Temminck's cormorant is caotured andused by Japanese f ishermen to catchf ish. l t bui lds i ts nest on c l i f fs over-looking the ocean.

A f lock of Temminck's cormorants

HERONS, EGRETS,AND BITTERNS

The l i t t le b i t tern nests s ingly invegetat i0n along lakes and r ivers.with a wing-spread of about 43 cm.Asia. India, Afr ica. and Austra l ia

The great b lue heron, the largest American heron, isof ten cal led a crane l t is Jound in North America, f romAlaska to Mexico. l t feeds on f ish as wel l as f roos.craVfish. and water-snakes.

I

The boat-b i l led heron has a broad. f latb i l l and large eyes Otherwise i t l00ksl ike a night-heron. l t is nocturnal andpreys on f ish, crabs, and smal l rodents.I t l ives hidden in mangroves f romsouthern Mexic0 to Peru and southernBrazi l .

* Herons and their relat ives the egrets, bit terns, storks, ibises, and f lamingosbe long to the order C icon i i fo rmes. .They are wad ing b i rds . "They havelong necks , po in ted b i l l s , and long, th in legs . .They feed main ly on f i shand l i ve in marshes .

.Herons and egre ts ea t f rogs and snakes as we l l as f i sh . -They nes thigh on the branches of strong trees. .The hunting of egrets f0r theirbeauti ful feathers has reduced the numbers 0f some species.

The cattle egret is found inf ie lds in the company of cat t le,somet imes perching on theirbacks, feeding on insects. l thas spread lrom Eurasia andAfrica to South America andthe southern Uni ted States.

+ The reef heron is b lack in colour.I t l ives on the beaches ofAustra l ia. New Zealand. andsouth-eastern Asia.

iThe l i t t le egret nests in colonies around marshes,r iver deltas, and swamps. l t is found in south-eastern Europe, south-eastern Asia, AIr ica, andAustral ia.

The Eastern great white egret, with a wing-spread ofabout 1.3 m, is one of the largest egrets l t was almostextinct because thousands were shot lor lhei plunes(feathers) . However, protect ive measures have helpedt0 restore their numbers. The great white egret is f0ufldin south-eastern Europe, south-eastern Asia, Africa, andAustralia.

- The night-heron roosts in treesaround sa l t o r f reshwatermarshes and swamps. Speciesof the night-heron are foundaround the world. lt hunts forfood at night.

+The grey heron is the mostcommon and widesoread of theEuropean herons. l t l ives aroundlakes, lagoons, r ivers, andswamps.

The l i t t le b lue heron is one of the smal lest of the Americanherons, l t is found in the eastern Uni ted States and f romPeru to Uruguay.

reeds and marshyI t is a smal l heronI t breeds in Europe,

+ The American bittern is found in North America fromCanada to Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies.To escape the attention of an enemy, the bit tern pointsits beak skywards, revealing its heavily streaked breast,and stands very still. In this way it is canouflaged (hiddenlamong the reeds where i t l ives.

Heronry (p lace where herons breed)

32

FLAMINGOS, STORKS,AND THEIR RETATIVES

-re rfrite stork of Eurasia is well known for

re huge stick nests which it builds on roofsr i r rouses in France, Hol land, and Germany. l tmilgraies t0 southern Africa in winter.

FLATI I IGOS- Fi lamingos have hooked bi l ls and extremely longrecks and legs . - Wi th the i r b i l l s ups ide down,'amingos scoop in to mud fo r food. -They havep nk p lumage and l i ve in la rge f locks in sha l lowrater. * In f l ight, their necks are bent in an

'S'

5"n a0e.

Tle greater flamingo is a deep pink, with bright red legsad feet l t has a black-t ipped bi l l . l t nests in coloniesrm mud-f lats and is found in the West lndies. South{rnerica. Eurasia. and Africa.

The jabiru is the largest stork in the lllew World(the Americas). l t feeds on f ish and amphibians.It is found from Mexico to Argentina.

.S torks have s t ra igh t b i l l s , and are usua l ly co [0ured b lack and wh i te .- The adults ate nute (voiceless). - They f ly slowly, with necks outstretched."They are found in warmer regions around the world, in Afr ica, Eurasia,and the Americas.

- Ibises and spoonbil ls have faces bare of feathers, " Most of the adultsare mute . - lb ises have th in beaks curv ing downwards . -Spoonb i l l s havebroad, spoon-shaped b i l l s .

The roseate spoonbi l l is a beaut i fu l , whi te b i rd wi thpink wings and flanks (sides) lt nests high up in man-groves lt is found in the south-eastern United Statesand from the West Indies t0 Argentina and Chile.

-._ =

The common spoonbill is foundin Eurasia and northern Africa.It usually nests on the ground inmarshes or on islands in coastallagoons. Dur ing the breedingseason it develops a crest at thenape (the back of the neck).

The glossy ib is has a bronze or greenish sheento i ts p lumage. Breeding in marshes and reeds,i t lays greenish-blue eggs l t is widely d is-t r ibuted in the warmer regions of the wor ld.

The scar let ib is is a handsome bird. l ts o lumesare all red except for its wing tips which areblack. l t l ives in large colonies in the coastalmangrove swamps of South America, fromVenezuela to north-eastern Brazil-

-.j'j.:.=

WATER-FOWL

SWANS

" Swans are the largest of the water-fowl. . Their necks are longer than theirbod ies . "They are gracefu l bo th in the water and in the a i r . -Swans f l y inV-formation or in l ines. -Except for the black swan of Austral ia, swans havemain ly wh i te bod ies . .They d ip the i r heads under water when fo rag ing fo raquat ic p lan ts , the i r ma in food. .Swans feed and migra te in f locks . "Bothmale and female incubate and care fo r the young.

"Water - fowl be long to the order Anser i fo rmes and inc lude ducks , geese,swans. and screamers . .They have webbed fee t , shor t legs , and longnecks . -The i r b i l l s a re f la t w i th too th- l i ke edges tha t serve as s t ra iners .-Soft, downy feathers keep their bodies warm. .They make use oI dlwn(soft. f luffy feathers) to l ine their nests. - Their young can swim soon afterhatching. - Except for the screamers, water-fowl are found al l over thewor ld .

The whooper swan breeds around salt-water lakes andr ivers in northern Europe and Asia. l t is a large bi rd.about 1.5 m long, and has a br ight yel low and black bi l l .When swimming, i t holds i ts neck stra ight .

The mute swan is found on the Asian cont inent ,in northern Europe, and the United States lt is a beautifulb i rd which swims wi th i ts neck held in a graceful 'S '

curve. l t can be easi ly recognised by the black knob atthe base of its bill. The mute swan is often kept on lakesin pr ivate parks. l ts beauty has even inspired the famousballet Swan Lake.

SCREAMEBS- Screamers are the South Amer ican re la t i ves o f ducks , geese, and swans..Screamers ge t the i r name f rom the i r loud c r ies . They l i ve on ly in the t rop ica lfo res ts o r wet g rass lands o f South Amer ica . .A pa i r o f spurs p ro jec t a t theforepar t o f the i r s t rong w ings . "They have shor t . curved b i l l s . .Screamers

are vegetar ians , feed ing main ly 0n water -p lan ts . .They are ab le to f loa teas i l v in water because o f the a i r sacs under the i r sk in . - Un l ike those o f o therwater fowl in th is o rder . the toes o f sc reamers are no t webbed.

The horned screamer l ives in marshes and f loodedtropical forests of South America. 0n i ts forehead is aspike, about 15 cm long, curv ing forward.

The black-necked swan is foundin southern South AmericaExceot for i ts b lack neck, th isswan has whi te p lumage. Atthe base of i ts b i l l is a red knob

The black swan is found on lakes and r ivers in southernAustra l ia and Tasmania. l t has a body of b lack, cur lyfeathers. and i ts b i l l is br ight red.

A f lock of whoooer swans.

A mute swan.

34

G EESE

T\e whi te- f ronted goose breeds in the Arct ic tundra. +

Slrrng the non-breeding season, it is found in southerniuope. the Middle East , northern India, China, Japan,rd Mexico. l t l ives along coasts and lakes, in tundra-egions. f ie lds, and marshes

-re Canada goose breeds in Canada and *

:re northern United States and winterssauh in Mexico. lt is the most wide-sqread of the geese in North Americard is a favour i te game-bird.

l{agellan's goose is grey withu,ack bars on its belly. lt is sorrdespread in South Americaand the Falk land ls lands that'rmers consider it a pest.

I

< .

The greylag goose breeds in *

northern Eurooe and central Asia.It is found on moors. lakes. and

. Geese are la rge , p lump b i rds w i th long necks . " The i r legs are sh0r t andare placed farther forward than those of ducks. . Their feet are webbed.. The i r b i l l s a re b road and r0und t ipped and are we l l -adapted t0 the i rhabits. . Geese feed 0n grain, grass shoots, and some water-plants.- A l though they are exce l len t sw immers they do no t spend as much t imein the water as their relat ives, the ducks and swans, do. " They are veryag i le on land and f l y we l l .

The Chinese goose is lound inthe southern regions of Siber iaand northern China. l t wasdomest icated in China almost3 000 years ago

is lands in summer. In winter ,i t prefers sal t and f reshwatermarshes. l t is the ancestor o{the domest ic goose.

The lesser whi teJronted goose l ives in +

the far northern regions of the Arct icdur ing summer and f l ies south for thewinter . l t is smal ler than the whi te-fronted goose

The brent breeds on the coastsof North America, Europe, Asia,and is lands of the northern Arct icregion. I t winters a long theNorth Sea in Eurooe and inCal i fornia and Virg in ia in theUnited States.

+ The bar-headed goose is foundin Asia. l t is grey in colour andcan easi ly be ident i f ied hy thetwo black bars on its white head.

The bean goose breeds f rom Green- *

land through northern Europe toeastern Asia l t has a black bi l lwi th an orange band l t f l ies southas soon as the Arct ic waters beginto f reeze

r $ite-fronted goose.

The snow goose breeds in the Arct icregions of Nor lh America and Greenland.I t is pure whi te wi th b lack wing-t ips.

DUCKS

A common teal

The spot-b i l led duck of eastern Asia looks very muchlike the brown, female mallard As with most fresh-water ducks, the spot-b i l led duck has a dist inct ivespeculun(brightpatch on each wing). lts speculum is blue.

The mal lard is found in the Northern HemisohereI t has a glossy green head. a b lue speculum, and cur lyfeathers above i ts la i l The mal lard is of ten hunted lorsport or for food Most domest ic ducks are descendedfrom the mal lard

The Baikal teal nests in north-eastern Asia. The drakehas a str ik ing pat tern of b lack, beige, and green on i ts face

The pinta i l is found in northern Europe, Asia, and westernNorth America. In winter i t migrates south and is commonin the upper reaches of the Ni le in Afr ica.

The common teal is one of the smal lest members of theduck fami ly. l t nests throughout m0sl of Europe, northernAsia, and North America

The gadwal l has a brown, b lack, and whi te patch 0n i tswing. l t l ives in f reshwater lakes, ponds, and r ivers. l tbreeds in Eur0pe, temperate Asia, and North America.

The male ruddy shelduck is rust-coloured wrth a largewhi te area on i ts wings l t breeds f rom southern Spaineastward across northern Afr ica and Asia. l t nests inbunows and holes

The fa lcated teal is found in north-eastern Asia. Themale has a br ight patch of green on i ts wing

The mandar in duck is found in eastern Asia and southernEngland where r t was introduced, l t feeds mainly onland, and nests in t ree.holes. The drake is most handsome.wi th wings curved l ike a fan

A mandar in duck.

. Ducks are smal le r than geese and swans * In most types o f ducks , themale, or dnke. has more col0urful feathers than the female. - Ducks havef la t b i l l s wh ich ac t as a s ieve to d ra in o f f mud and water . -They swim we l land are strong f l iers. -Some ducks l ive in shal low, fresh water, such asponds. lakes, and marshes. Some l ive in deep salt water such as bays andriver-m0uths. (Jthers l ive in trees

I he Ba i ka l t ea l .

The manda r i n duck

The fa lcated

The common shelduck l ives in the coastal areas of Spain,Br i ta in, and temperate Europe and Asia. l t nests inburrows in the ground The drake has a red knob oni ts b i l l .

The wigeon is found in north-eastern Europe and northernAsia. l t walks wel l and ol ten grazes on land, a l thoughi t feeds mainly on water-p lants.

The shovel ler has a specia l spoon-shaped bi l l which i tuses to forage for food in the water. lt is found in Europe,northern Asia. and North America

The tuf ted duck l ives near swamps and the seashoreI t feeds mainlv on shel l f ish and seaweed and is found innorthern Asia and Eurooe. Both the male and the female

have an overhanging crest.

The golden-eye duck l ives in bays or r ivers near the

coast in the northern regions of North America, Europe,and Asia. lt swims farther out to sea than any other

duck The female has a brown head, but the male has agreen head wi th a whi te spot beneath each eye.

The smew is a handsome duck wi th whi te and brownplumage. l t is found in northern Eurasia.

The har lequin duck has colourfu l markings l ike the paintedface of a c lown. l t l ives near rocky coasts where the surfis heavy l t is found in lceland and n0rth-western NorthAmerica.

The red-breasted merganser is a beaut i fu l , crested duckI t is found in the nor lhern polar regions.

The common eider nests on the shores of Labrador andNorway. lt lines its nest with down (soft, flu{fy feathers)to keep i ts eggs warm. Man has s imi lar ly made use ofeiderdown for warm cloth ing and bedcover ings.

Tree-ducks have longer legs than aquat ic ducks Theystand higher and more erect . The black-bel l ied t ree-duckhas a body of brown plumage wi th a b lack bel ly andwhi te on i ts wings. l ts b i l l and legs are pink. l t is foundin Mexico and South America.

The fu lvous t ree-duck is the smal lest 0f the t ree-ducks.I t is f0und in North and South America, as wel l as in

Afr ica and India

J I

BIRDS OF PREY

VU TTURES. Vultures arc scavengerc (animals that feed on decaying matter) " Unlikeother birds of prey, their claws are weak and unsuited to capturing l ivean imals . .They have la rge b i l l s fo r tear ing f lesh and usua l ly ea t car r ion .-The i r heads and necks are who l ly o r par t l y bare o f fea thers . *There aretwo groups of vultures - the (Jld World and the New World (American)vu l tu res . Though the i r genera l appearance and l i v ing hab i ts a re s imi la r ,certain features of their anatomy place them in separate famil ies.

The American k ing vul ture, about 76 cm long, is loundfrom Mexico to Argent ina. l t has a yel low, f leshy creston the bare patch at the base of i ts upper b i l l -

The white-backed vulture has a characteristic white patchon i ts back l t is o l ten seen eat ing refuse on the outski r tsof v i l lages in India and Peninsular Malaysia.

-Vultures, eagles, hawks, falcons, and their relat ives belong to the orderFa lcon i fo rmes. -They are a l l b i rds o f p rey . -The i r hooked b i l l s a re sharpand downcurved. " They possess a cere (soft, naked skin) at the base of theupper bi l l . - They have strong, clawed feet. Each foot has four toes, threeof which face forwards with the hind toe point ing backwards. - The ospreyis an exception in having a reversible outer toe as well . . Birds of prey arecarnivorous, feeding mainly on warm-blooded animals. Some are carr ion-eaters; that is, they eat the decaying f lesh of dead birds and animals. - Theyhave a keen sense of sight and can detect prey while hovering high abovethe ground. . The females are usually larger than the males. - Birds of preyare d iv ided in to f i ve fami l ies : New Wor ld vu l tu res ; the secre tary -b i rd ;0ld World vultures, hawks, eagles, and their relat ives ; ospreys; and falcons.

The griffon vulture is found in Europe, Africa, and south-western Asia. l ts head and neck are covered withwhite down

The turkey vulture is the most widely distributedof the New World vultures. lt ranges frflnsouthern Canada t0 southern Argentina. It hasa wing-spread of about 73 cm.

The Andean condor is the largest of the New Worldvul tures. l t is about 1.3 m in length and l ives in theAndes. The male, unl ike other b i rds of prey, is largerthan the female.

The Egypt ian vul ture, about 58 cm long, is thesmal lest of the 0ld World vul tures. l t of teninhabi ts lowns and v i l lages in southern Europe,Afr ica, and India.

38

EAGLES ANDHAWKS

Stel ler 's sea-eagle has a high, yel low bi l l , d ist inguishingi t f rom the ordinary sea-eagle. l t feeds on f ish, rabbi ts,and bi rds. l t breeds in eastern Siber ia. a long the shoresof the Ber ing and 0khotsk Seas. and is occasional ly foundin Alaska.

The marsh-harr ier l ives in open counlryand moors in Eurone and western AsiaI t hunts in marshes and swamos

The swal low-ta i led k i te is found f rom the southemUnited States t0 northern Argent ina l t is oneof the 0ret l iest of the American hawks l t feedsmainly on insects, anphibians, and smal l rept i les

-Eagles are large powerful birds of prey. .They have broad wings and

ta i l s . -Most eag les have dark c0 lour ing . .They bu i ld the i r nes ts on

h igh c l i f f s and mounta ins . . Eag les have been cons idered the k ings among

the b i rds o f p rey . " These majes t ic b i rds have been por t rayed 0n the emblems

of severa l na t i0ns . * Eag les are becoming ex t inc t because o f persecut ion

by man. .The go lden eag le , S te l le r ' s sea-eag le , and the ba ld -eag le a re

espec ia l l y p ro tec ted .

-Hawks are common b i rds o f p rey . -They are c lose re la t i ves o f eag les .- Hawks are swift and strong f l iers. " They have powerful, sharp claws and

hooked beaks -Thev feed main lv on smal l mammals and b i rds , and have

been known t0 p rey on an imals la rger than themse lves .

l,*)

t.rn

The imper ia l eagle l ives most ly on the Asiancont inent f rom north-western India to China, andin the Medi tenanean region. l t has str ik ingplumage of whi te and black feathers

The European sparrow-hawk lives in both openand forested country in Europe, north-westernAfr ica, and large parts of Asia.

The bald-eagle is the nat ionalemblem of the Uni ted Slates l tis actual ly not bald, but has whi tefeathers on the head and neckI t measures about 86 cm. l t isfound in North America andnorth-eastern Siber ia-

The harpy-eagle, about 95 cmlong , r anges f r om sou the rnlVlexico to Argentina lt has verYstrong legs and a character is l iccrest on i ts head. l t feeds onmonkeys and smal l mammals

The goshawk l ives in the forests of North America,Asia. and Europe, except ing Br i ta in. The femalehas a wing-spread of over a metre

q

\

39

FALCONS AN DTHEIR RELATIVES

The Chimango caracara ranges from Brazil to Chile. ltis about 60 cm in length.

The kestre l of the fa lcon fami ly l ives on the pla ins andin woods of Europe, Asia, and parts 0f Afr ica. l t feedson birds, mice, and insects.

I

I

FATCONRY

Falconry is the sport of hunting with trained birdsof prey. In the East, falconry has been traced backto 1200 B.C. l t was espec ia l l y popu lar dur ing the

Middle Ages when i t came to be known as ' the

spor t 0 f k ings ' . T ra ined fa lcons were h igh lyprized and the gif t 0f a falcon from the king wasc0nsidered a mark of favour. Now. however,falconry is not a widely practised sport.

.Falcons, although they resemble hawks, belong to a family of their own.

.They d i f fe r f rom hawks and eag les in tha t they have horny ' tee th '

on the s ides o f the upper beak . . These ' tee th ' he lp in tear ing f lesh .* Falcons are found in most parts of the world. . They are the most popular

birds used in the sport of falconry. *The caracaras belong to the family

of falcons, but dif fer in appearance from the true falcons. Caracaras are

cauion-feeders, that is, they eat the decaying f lesh of other birds and

an imals . They l i ve in South Amer ica .

The gyrfa lcon, about 50 cm long, is the largest 0f thehunt ing fa lcons. l t is found in the northern regions olNorth America, Europe, and Asia

tThe peregr ine fa lcon is very popular in the sport 0ffa lconry. l t l ives inopencountry, f rom c0aststo mountains,and nests on roofs of ta l l bui ld ings and c l i f l ledges. l t isfound in most parts of the w0rld excepting Antarctica

The pygmy fa lconet, about 16 cm long, is the smal lest +oi the la lcons. l t is found in the Phi l ippines.

The osprey, unlike other birds of prey, has a reversibleouler toe. 11 feeds mainly on f ish. l t hunts in sudden

spectacular d ives into lakes, r ivers, and along seacoasts.The osprey has strong feet wi th scales beneath, enabl ingit to have a firm grip on its prey. The osprey is notedfor its courage in defending its home. lt is found in most *parts of the wor ld.The secretary-bi rd is long- legged and stands about1 2 m high. The crest on the nape of i ts neck resemblesquills lpensl projecting from behind a secretary's ear -

hence i ts name. The secretary-bi rd feeds on smal lanimals and insects, but snakes are i ts main prey. l ts t r ikes at snakes wi th i ts sharp bi l l whi le p inning themwith its strong claws. Unlike other birds of prey, the ,!secretary-bi rd hunts on foot l t is found in thesavannahs of Africa.

Falconry used to be a popular sport in the Middle Ages.

FOWL-LIKE BIBDS

G B O U S Et Grouse are s tocky b i rds . " The i r legs and nos t r i l s a re covered w i th fea thers'P tarmigans are grouse found in the co lder reg ions . Dur ing w in te r the i rfea thers a re wh i te .

The prair ie chicken, or p innated grouse. has yel low airsacs on ei ther s ide of i ts throat . These sacs are inf lateddur ing courtship

'dances' in the mat ing season. The

grouse also makes a booming cal l wi th the aid of theseair sacs l t is found in western Canada and the s0uthernUni ted States

CURASSOWS AND IHEIB RETATIVES- Curassows, guans , and the i r re la t i ves l i ve on ly in t rop ica l South Amer ica .-They are pheasant - l i ke b i rds , and are usua l ly found in t ree tops , bu t a reground-feeders, eating leaves, fruits, insects, and worms,

TUBKEYS-Turkeys are beaut i fu l b i rds whose fea thers have a meta l l i c lus t re . -The

male has a spur a t the back o f each leg . .Turkeys are ground- feeders , bu tr0os t in t rees a t n igh t . -They are we l l known fo r the i r gobb l ing no ises ands t ru t t ing wa lk . . Dur ing cour tsh ip . the male 's ta i l i s d isp layed l i ke a fan .- Today man raises domesticated turkeys for human consumption. Man hassuccessful ly bred turkeyS which have more f lesh and are tast ier, than thewi ld ones .

The wi ld turkev is found in the s0uth-eastern Uni ted Statesand lVlexico. l t is now a protected bi rd af ter i ts numberswere great ly decreased by game hunters.

- Fowl- l ike birds include grouse, quai ls, partr idges, pheasants, curassows,and megapodes wh ich a l l be long to the order Ga l l i fo rmes. .They areattract ive. heavy-bodied. land birds. -They can f ly only a few hundredmet res . -They run we l l on land, bu t cannot sw im. "The i r shor t beakscurve downwards. * In searching for food, the birds scratch the ground forseeds and insects. - The cocks, 0r males, of most species are more colourfulthan the hens. "They are found al l over the world except in Polynesia andAntarct ica.

The rock ptarmigan is brown and whi te dur ing summer,but turns whi te wi th a b lack streak across the eye inwinler This change of colour helps to eanouflage(hide) the ptarmigan against i ts background. hl ives in the northernmost regions of North Americaand Eurasia.

The great curassow l ives in forests f rom soulhern Mextcoto Ecuador The male is most handsome, wi th a crestof cur led feathers. l t has a br ight yel low knob on i ts b i l l

The whi te crested guanParaguay and Argent ina.

is found f rom Venezuela toI t measures about 88 cm.

Rock ptarmigans in their coats of whi te winter feathers.

PHEASANTS

Head of the common peacock

-,_ tnt white peacock.

-The fami ly 0 f pheasants inc ludes domest ic fow l , pea- fowl , par t r idges ,and quails. - Most male pf ieasants have long, attract ive tai ls which theydisplay during courtship t0 attract females. -They have a prominent spurat the back of each leg. - Peacocks are often kept in zoos and privateparks because of their beauty. - Ouails are small game-birds. Like domesticfowl, quai ls are also bred for their eggs.

The ancestors of domestic fowl were probably jungle birds, notably thewidely distr ibuted red jungle fowl. They dif fer from other pheasants inthat they have red combs on their heads and watt les (growths of skin)at the bases of their beaks. Their tai ls are usually arched. The hens areless colourful than the cocks. Domestic chickens are raised for their tastyf lesh and eggs. Fancy fowl are bred for show. Some are trained for cock-f i g hts.

The long-ta i led Yokohama chicken

T,he Brahma

The common peacock is a nat ive 0f India and Sr i LankaThe peacock has a magni f icent , long t ra in pat ternedwith large 'eyes'of

b lue and gold l t a lso has a crown- l ikecrest on i ts head. The pea-hen is dul l brown in colour.

The green peacock is found in the jungles of Burma, Indo-China. and Indonesia. l t l0oks verv much l ike the commonpeacock, but i ts crest is webbed. and i ts neck is oreen.nol b lue.

The whi te peacock is a form of the common oeacockthat f requent ly occurs am0ng birds bred in capt iv i ty .

Head of the green peacock

The r ing-necked pheasant l ives in temperate Asia buti t is now a wel l -known game-bird in Europe l t prefersparks wi th ta l l grass, shrubs, and occasional t rees onwhich i t roosts. l t has a whi te r ing round i ts neck.

The common quai l is found in temperate Eurasia, Afr ica,and Madagascar. l t bui lds i ts nest on the ground andl ikes to remain hidden in bushes and long grasses

The grey jungle fowl

CRANES ANDTHEIR RELATIVES

CBANES*Cranes have long legs and long necks . -The i r b i l l s a re long and po in ted .-They ea t ma in ly p lan ts , bu t a lso feed on insec ts , f rogs , and o ther smal l

an ima ls . * Cranes per fo rm l i ve ly dances and make loud t rumpet - l i ke ca l l s .'They are found throughout the world except in South America, the Pacif icis lands . New Zea land, and the Malay arch ipe lago.

-Cranes , ra i l s , c0o ts , bus tards , and the i r re la t i ves be long to the order

Gru i fo rmes. These b i rds a re s lowly decreas ing in number . Some fami l ies

may even become extinct i f not protected. -They have hard bi l ls, rounded

wings , dnd shor t ta i l s . " Most o f these b i rds a re aquat ic and l j ve in marshesor swamps. .They wade th rough grasses and water w i th the i r long legs .-The fee t o f the aouat ic ones are no t webbed.

The demoisel le is one of thesmal lest cranes. l t breeds ondry ground on open pla ins andplateaus in centra l and southernEurasia

I

tThe crowned crane is a handsome bird. l ts head has ablack velvet cap and a crown of bristle-shaped feathers.I t is found in Afr ica.

BAITS AND COOIS- Rails and coots belong to the same family. " They l ive in marshes. and are

found in most parts of the world. - Rails have narrow bodies, can run well

and f ly short distances. - Coots have lobed feet (f laps on each toe). Theycan swim and dive, as well as f ly short distances. . Birds of this family

feed on water-plants. seeds, insects, molluscs, and s0metimes l izards

and mice .

The American coot is found fromcentral Canada to Ecuador. l tis dark grey wi th a whi te,chicken- l ike bi l l .II

The Siber ian whi te crane comes+from cold Siber ia l t wintersalong the coasts of the CasPianSea.

tI

The whooping crane is the ta l lest American bi rd.reaching a height o i about

' l 3 m l t is st r ic t ly

protected by conservat ionists. l t breeds innorth-western Canada and winlers in Texas. inthe southern United States

*The ruddv crake is a smal l ra i lgrowing to a length of aboul23 cm. lt is found in Asia

.t

BUSTABDS- Bustards are among theheav ies t o f f l y ing b i rds .- They have short legs andheavy bod ies . - They canrun very fast and are welladapted to open, treelessreg ions . -They ea t seeds ,shoots, insects, and evenmice , rep t i les , o r b i rds .-They are found in A f r i ca .As ia . and Aust ra l ia .

The Ypecaha wood rai l measures +aboul 45 cm and is one of thelarger ra i ls . l t is lound onlyin South America.

TBU M PETEBS-Trumpeters a re found on ly in t rop ica l South Amer ica . "They can run

and swim we l l , bu t a re weak f l ie rs . .The males have a loud t rumpet - l i ke

voice *Trumpeters roost in trees at night. -After a l ively courtship dance,

they bu i ld the i r nes ts on the ground. .The common t rumpeter be longs to

this family. l t feeds on fruit and seeds.

tThe Houbara bustard is found inAsia and Africa Both the maleand the female have a short crest

43

WADEBS ANDTHEIR RELATIVES

The l i t t le r inged plover, about 15 cmlong, breeds in northern Europe andAsia. lts bill is black and its legs arepale. l t has a black breast bano.

The ringed plover looks much like thelittle ringed plover. However. it canbe identified by its orange bill whichhas a black t ip.

The pheasan l - t a i l ed j acana .about 50 cm long, is found inIndia and south-eastern Asia.The nape of its neck is yellowand the ta i l has long plumes.

-The order Charadr i i fo rmes inc ludes severa l fami l ies wh ich can bedivided into three broad groups. .The f irst and largest group consists ofthe waders , the second inc ludes the gu l l s , te rns , skuas , and sk immers ,and the third includes the auks and their relat ives. . The males and femalesusua l ly look a l i ke . .They feed 0n a var ie ty o f smal l an ima ls . .They aredistr ibuted throughout the world and inhabit seashores, coastal waters,and marshes.

The Caspian plover is about 19 cmlong lt travels in flocks and frequentsgrassy pla ins.

WADEBS-Waders have long legs and narrow bi l ls. -Their legs areadapted for wading and are bare of feathers. -The hind toeis small and is higher than the front toes. - Most waders arefound along coastal areas.

-Plovers form the majori ty of waders. -They are small ,shore birds, measuring 15 to 39 cm in length. -They spendmuch t ime on the ground and can run very rapidly. Their f l ightis swift and powerful. . Plovers feed on insects, crustaceans,worms, and some seaweed. - They lay pebble-l ike eggs betweenrocks on the ground.

When the nest or young of waders arethreatened by an intruder, a parent luresthe intruder away. The parent pretends

to have an iniured wing and f lutters ina direct ion away from the nest. Theintruder, if it is a predator (one whocatches prey), wi l l be lured away withthe prospect of a bigger and equallyhelpless prey. When the predator hasbeen led out of sight of the nest, theparent ' recovers'

and f l ies to safety. Thebewildered predator is left to look for ameal elsewhere.

The Kent ish plover, about 15 cm long, is common onsandy and stony beaches along the coasts of south-eastern England, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia

The spotted sandpiper measures about 20 cm and isfound in temperate North America. lt winters in Braziland Chile.

The common lapwing, about30 cm long. is found in Europeand temperate Asia. lt is brightlycoloured and has a long crest.

The Eu ropean oys te r - ca t che r .about 50 cm long, is a coastalb i rd. l t feeds mainlv on shel l f ishwhich it opens with its strong.red bi l l .

The painted snipe, about 24 cmlong, is found in Africa, Asia,and Australia. lt feeds mainlvon worms and mol luscs.

44

The common tern, about 37 cm long, is the bestknown of the terns. lt nests in colonies inEurope, western Asia, northern Africa. and NorthAmerica.

SKUAS'Skuas are close relatives of gulls and terns. -They have strongly hookedbil ls, elongated central tail feathers, and a cerc (soft, naked skin) on theupper bil l . -They are poor swimmers and divers. -They often rob otherbirds of their food.

The Arctic skua, about 45 cmlong, is the most common. h isfound along Arctic coasts.

The great skua, about 58 cmlong, is the largest of the skuas.It feeds on fish, and scavengesalong shores and bpaches. ltoften pre.ys on the eggs andchicks of penguins. The greatskua is found in the Antarctic.

The hening-gul l , about 61 cm long. is abundant alongcoasts and also common near lakes and rivers, lt breedsin the Arctic regions, northern North America, and alongthe coasts of Europe.

The sooty tern. about 40 cm long, is entirely black exceptfor its white forehead and underparts. lt is found alongtropical and subtropical coasts facing the Atlantic,Pacific. and Indian 0ceans.

. Gulls and terns are birds with slender bodies, long, pointed wings, andyebbed feet. *They are typical birds of the seashore and coastal waters,though some live in marshes. . They fly well, and are able to soar and glidewith ease. .Gulls are good swimmels, but are not divers. -Their bil lscurve down at the tip. .Gulls nest on the ground. *Terns are smaller thangulls. -They are poor swimmers, but can dive. .Their bil ls are pointedat the tip.

The glaucous gul l , about 76 cm long,is one of the larger gulls. lt breedsalong marine coasts of Arctic islands,northern Eurooe, Asia, and NorthAmerica.

GULIS, AUKS, ANDTHEIR BELATIVES

The common gull, about 40 cm long, islound near harbours and in parks. ltnests in colonies in northern Eurooe,Asia. and north-western North America.

The fairy tern is a small bird with a length ofabout 30 cm. lt is usually found in mangrovesin western Hawaii and tropical islands ol theS0uth Atlantic. Indian, and Pacific Oceans'

t . t

AUKS. PUTFINS, AiID IHEIB BETAIIVES.Auks, puffins, and their relatives are well adapted to l ife in the water.. They look l ike penguins, but are able to fly. . Auks cannot take to the airfrom level ground. They take off from cliffs or high rocks, -They havewebbed feet and can swim and dive well. -They move through the waternot by using their feet, but by the movement of their strong wings. - Auksfeed mainly 0n fish. - Puffins, often known as sea-parrots, are able totake to the air from level gr0und. . They go further out to sea than auks do.- Puffins have brightly c0loured beaks during the breeding seas0n, but inwinter the colour fades away. -They nest in bulrows. .Auks and puffins

live in the Arctic regions.

The common pulfin is about 30 cmlong. lt feeds on fish. lt is foundalong the Nonh Atlantic coasts.

The razor-bill auk. about 43 cm long,has a grooved bi l l . l t is found inlarge numbers along the NorthAtlantic coasts.

45

PIGEONS ANDTHEIR BELATIVES

The large green pigeon rs found in the forests0f the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, andJava. lt has a red patch on its breast. lt isafmost completely arhoreal (lives in trees).

The rock dove is found in temperate Europe,n0rthern Africa, and Asia. lt nests on rockvcoasts in cliff crevices, and in caves. Manvvar iet ies of domest ic p igeon or ig inate f rom therock dove.

. Pigeons and doves, sand-gr0use, and the now-extinct dodo are threefami l ies o f b i rds be long ing to the order Co lumbi fo rmes. *These b i rds a regeneral ly plump and ful l-breasted. -They eat fruits, grains. and grasses.- Pigeons and doves produce 'pigeon's milk ' from the crcp (a sac in thethroat region) on which their young feed soon after hatching. "Doves aregeneral ly considered smaller and m0re gentle than pigeons. -This orderof birds has the unusual abi l i ty to suck up l iquid. They need not raisetheir heads at intervals to swallow l iquid as other birds do. -They arefound al l over the world excepting the polar regions.

The Indian ring-dove has a black collar narrowlytrimmed with white. lt is found in cultivatedfields and open country in India, Sri Lanka, theHimalayas. Burma, and eastern Asia.

The fantai l p igeon is domest ic and is bred only for showIt has al l whi te p lumage and beaut i fu l ta i l feathers whichspread out l ike a fan

The dodo was a large, flightless bird withsmal l wings, a hooked beak. and a ta i l of cur lyfeathers. lt used to live in Mauritius. but hasbeen extinct since the late 1600s

DOMESTIC PIGEONS

Domest ic p ige0ns were f i rs t b red in Egyptand central Asia thousands of years ago.They were used to carry messages attachedto t fe i r legs . Th is i s because p igeonshave a s t rong homing ins t inc t and canf ind the i r way home over s t range andunfami l ia r count ry . Some domest ic p igeonsare used as labora tory an ima ls , wh i leothers are bred for show, for food, or keptas pets.

The blue-crowned pigeon of New Guinea has alarge fan-like crest of lacy feathers. lt feedsmainly on wild fruits. lt is the largest memberof the pigeon family, measuring about 84 cm inlength.

The racing pigeon is domest ic and is bred for i ts h0mingabi l i ty . A wel l - t ra ined racing pigeon can f ind i ts wayhome even {rom a distance of 1 000 km.

The turt le-dove is common in parks and fa;mland.It is very active on the ground. lt lives in centraland southern Europe, northern Africa. and Asia.

40

PARROTS AN D. Panots , macaws, cockatoos , and budger igars be long to the orderPs i t tac i fo rmes " They are br igh t ly co loured b i rds . - They have shor tbod ies and most have long ta i l s . -The i r legs are shor t and s t rong andthe i r fee t have a pa i r o f oppos ing toes . -They use the i r fee t as hands tol i f t food to the i r beaks . -The i r upper beaks are movab le and are an a idin c l imb ing . -The i r tongues are f leshy , enab l ing them to mimic wordsand sounds. -These b i rds l i ve in g roups rn fo res ts where most o f thembui ld nes ts in the ho l lows o f t rees -They are o f ten kept as domest icoets.

THEIR RELATIVES

lV lasked lovebirds.

A cockatooMacaws

An Afr ican grey parrotBudger igars

CUCKOOS ANDTHEIR RETATIVES

- Cuckoos, an is , touracos , and couca ls be long to the order Cucu l i fo rmes '-They have s lender bod ies and long ta i l s . .The i r fee t have two toes in

front and two behind. "They l ive mainly in forests in temperate regions

and feed on insects and fruits. .The male cuckoos are known for their

fami l ia r ' cu-ckoo ' ca l l dur ing the mat ing season.- A few cuckoos are parasit ic, as they depend on other birds to feed

their young. The female cuckoo f inds the nest of another bird. She steals

one of the eggs from the nest, lays her own egg. then f l ies off with the

stolen egg. When the young cuckoo hatches, i t tr ies to push out the other

eggs or newly hatched birds. The host (owner) of the nest inst inct ively

brings back food for the newly hatched, even though the young cuckoo

may be much larger than the host.

The hawk cuckoo l ives in wel l -wooded country in India and

Sri Lanka. l t has a hawk- l ikeappearance and feeds on berr ies,fruits, and insects lt lays itseggs in the nests of babblers.

The emerald cuckoo is a beaut i fu l b i rdfound in t rooical Afr ica south of theSahara. l t l ives high up in t rees andlays i ts eggs in the nests of bulbuls andweaver- f inches

The g rea t spo t t ed cuckoobreeds in AJrica and southernEurope l t usual ly lays i ts eggsin the nests of crows and jays.A cuckoo's egg ( the largest one) has been deposi ted

in th is warbler 's nest .

TOUBACOS* Touracos are the most brightly coloured relat ives of the cuckoos..They look much l i ke game-b i rds and are found on ly in A f r i ca. The toes of the touracos are more prehensi le than those olthe cuckoos. The outer toe can be turned either forwards otbackwards.

The great b lue touraco, about72 cm long, is the largestmember of i ts fami ly. l t feedsmainly on f ru i ts and l ives inwestern AJr ica

The road-runner is a ground cuckoofound in the deserts of s0uth-westernNorth America l t is able 1o k i l lrat t lesnakes, but feeds mainly on l izardsh is not oarasi t ic and bui lds i ts ownnest in cactus bushes.

The smooth-bi l led ani is foundin

'South America and the West

Indies. l t has glossy blackplumage, and of ten l ives inf locks near water. l t lays i tseggs in i ts own nest of twigsand st icks. l t feeds on largeinsects, f ru i ts , and seeds.

The common cuckos is found in Europe and the temperateregions of Asia and Afr ica The male is usual ly greyand the female brown. lt lays its eggs in the nests ofreed warblers. meadow pip i ts , and wagtai ls

48

OWLS ANDFRO GM O UTHS

-0wls, of the order Str igiformes, are found throughout the world exceptin Antarct ica. -They are typical ly nocturnal birds of prey, but can see andfly during the day. Some are even able to hunt by day. " ()wls have hookedbeaks and strong grasping feet for qatching prey. -They eat small animalswho le , bu t ea t la rger an ima ls by tear ing o f f p ieces o f f lesh . " Und iges tedbones, fur, and feathers are regurgitated (brought back into the mouth)as pel lets ( l i t t le bal ls). - ()wls have good hearing which they sometimesre ly on when hunt ing by n igh t . .They have so f t . f lu f fy p lumage and areab le to f l y sound less ly . .0w ls have la rge eyes wh ich face fo rwards andare almost innohile (not movable). However, owls are able to turn theirheads round to look in a l l d i rec t ions . . Most owls bu i ld nes ts in ho l low

trees. * They al l hoot, wail , or whist le.

The spectacled owl ranges f romMexico to northern Argent ina l tis about 43 cm long and has ana l m o s t c o m p l e t e r i m o f w h i t efealhers round i ts eyes

tThe el f owl , about 14 cm long, is oneof the smal lesl l t feeds mainly 0n largeinsects, and nests in qactus plants 0rdeserted woodoecket holes in t rees. l tis found in the deserts as wel l as thepine and oak woodlands o1 Mexico andthe south-western [Jnited States

The barn owl has a heart-shaoed Jace +

I ts legs are {eathered l t nests mainlyin barns. holes in t rees. and in at t icsol o ld bui ld ings. As i ts food consistsalmost ent i re lv of rats and mice, thefarmer considers i t useful to havearound The barn owl is found in mostoarts of the world

The snowy owl is found in banen Arct ict und ra . l t hun t s by day , seek inglemmings and hares as prey. l t laysi ts eggs in hol lows in the ground

The long-eared owl is found inconi{erous forests in the NorthernHemisphere. l t has long earluf ts l t feeds mainly on miceand smal l b i rds.

- F rogmouths , n igh t ja rs , and the i r re la t i ves be longto the order Capr imu lg i fo rmes. " They arenocturnal or crepuscular (twi l ight) birds. -They

have a charac ter is t i c w ide , gap ing mouth w i thbr is t les round i t . -The i r dark -co loured p lumageis so f t and f lu f fy . "These b i rds have long, po in tedwings . -The i r fee t a re smal l and weak. .Wi th

the except ion o f the o i l -b i rd , they feed on insec ts ..The others, except frogmouths, catch insectswh i le in f l i gh t .

I

The oi l -b i rd is the only member of a fami ly re lated t0the night jars 11 is of ten cal led the guacharo becauseof i ts wai ls Unl ike i ts re lat ives, the oi l -b i rd feeds onfru i ts . l t is found in South America and Tr in idad.

tThe Malaysian eagle-owl l ives inboth the lowlands and the mountainlorests of Malaysia and IndonesiaI t is large, about 45 cm long, andfeeds mainly 0n rodents, snakes, andsmal l b i rds.

The European night jar is a large bi rd wi th mott ledbrown, red, and black plumage l t lays i ts eggsin hol lows in the ground. l t is found in Europeand centra l Asia, but winters in t ropical Afr ica

i

+

The tawny frogmouth is found in Australia. ltsplumage is a marbled grey. Like al l frogmouthsit has a large, hooked bi l l , and catches food onthe ground

49

SWIFTS,H U M MING.BIRDS,TROGONS ANDc0HEs

The common swift is found in Europe, Africa. and southernAsia. lt measures about 16 cm and has a forked tail andsooty-black plumage.

-Swifts and humming-birds belong to the order Apodiformes. -They areundoubtedly the greatest f l iers of the bird kingdom. *Their wings arewell developed. . Their legs are shoft, and their feet are small and weak.-They lay long, white eggs. . Most swifts and humming-birds are foundin tropical and subtropical regions.

-Swifts are among the fastest f lying birds. -They have stream-l inedbodies and slender, crescent-shaped wings. -They do not perch 0n treesas their feet are not strong enough. - With some support from their tai ls,they roost on the vert ical surfaces of cl i f fs and tree-trunks. -Swifts spendmost of the t ime in the air, feeding on insects which they catch in f l ight-

The brown-thrtiated snine-tailed swift is found in easternAsia. lt is about l8 cm long and is noted for its veryfast flight.

H U M M I N G - B I B D S.Humming-birds are very small birds. -They are brightly coloured and have thinpointed bi l ls. -Their wings beat so fast that they produce a humming sound.. Humming-birds have the abi l i ty to f ly forwards, backwards, and sideways, thusenabling them to hover from f lower to f lower in search of nectar. -They are ableto thrust their tongues beyond their bi l ls. The tongues of most humming-birds aretubular and are used to suck nectar from f lowers. - Some have tongues with brushytips which enable them to gather insects as well as nectar. *Humming-birds are al lfound in the New World. especial ly in tropical South America.

The bee humming-bird is the smallest of allbirds. lt measures about 5.6 cm in length andweighs only two grammes. lt is found in Cuba.

The ruby-throated humming-bird is about 8 6 cmlong. lt is the only one that nests in Canada andthe eastern United States where it migrates fromthe south during summer

T R O G O N S*Trogons are the only family in the orderTrogoniformes. -They are very brightlycoloured. tropical birds of both the 0ldand New Worlds. - They dif fer from otherbirds in having the f irst and second toeturned backwards. - Trogons have verythin and tender skin. -They are not act ivebirds. . They feed mainly on insects.

The male quetzal is the most handsome of trogons.Its plumage is bri l l iant ly coloured. l t has a ful l creston its head and very long feathers in its tail. The quetzalranges from southern Mexico to Costa Rica and is thenational bird of Guatemala.

c0uEs- Colies are the only family in the orderColi i formes. -They are often known asmouse-birds, and are found only in Afr ica.-A characterist ic feature of these birdsis their reversible 0uter toes. -Colies

have dul l-coloured feathers which are softand ha i r - l i ke . -They have long ta i l s andcrests on their heads.

The speckled coly measures about 35 cm inlength. lt is found in central and eastern Africa.

The giant humming-bird is the largest type. l t isabout 21.5 cm long and is found in the Andes.

KINGF!SHERS,H O RN BI LLS,AND THEIRRELATIVES

. Kingfishers, todies, motmots. bee-eaters, rol lers, hoopoes, and hornbi l lsbelong to the order Coraci i formes. *Most are tropical birds. -They areusually brightly coloured with large bi l ls. . Their cal ls are noisy and start l ing.-They feed on f ish, repti les, insects, and amphibians. .Their nests areholes dug in r iver-banks or rotten trees.

- Kingfishers are divided into f ishing kingfishers and forest kingfishers.The former perch on branches overhanging w1ter. -They dive into thewater, catch f ish, and f ly back to the branch where they gulp down the f ish.. Some forest kingfishers l ive near water, but many have to hunt in the forestfor prey such as repti les and large insects.

+ The common kinglisher is wide-spread in southern Eurasia, andfrom southern Africa east to theSolomons. lt is often seen sittingmotionless on a branch by thewater, waiting to spot a fish.

HORIUBILLS- Hornbi l ls have characterist ic large, downwardcurved bi l ls. - 0n top of the bi l l is a horny growthca l led a casque. . Hornb i l l s l i ve in the lung les o fAsia and Afr ica. - Most hornbi l ls make unusualmud neSts in tree hol lows. - The female remains inthe nest which is completely sealed except for asmal I open ing . -The male feeds the femalethrough this opening. . The female remains in thenest unti l the young are able to fend for themselves.*Hornbi l ls feed on fruits, insects, and smallan ima ls .

The ruddy kingfisher is found ineastern Asia. lt builds its nest intree hollows. lt feeds on lizards.small mammals, and large insects.

The black-capped kingfisher has acharacteristic black head. lt nestson the mud banks of rivers. lt isfound in Africa. eastern Asia. andAustral ia.

The hoopoe l ives in Afr ica,Eurasia, and Madagascar. l t isan altractive bird with a black-tipped crest that can be erectedor flattened. lt can run welland f inds most of i ts food. suchas worms and ants, on theground. A tree cavity serveswel l as the hoopoe's nest .

The great hornbi l l is found inlndia and south-eastern Asia.I t grows to a length of 1.2 m.Unl ike other hornbi l ls i ts b i l lis not hol low but sol id, andornaments are made from it.

I

The kookaburra, found onlY inAustralia. is the largest of the foiestkingfishers. lt is also known asthe laughing lackass because ofi ts high, laugh-l ike cal l . l t feedsmainly on l izards and snakes.

The common motmot of South America and Mexico isthe largest of these tropical American birds. As wifi allmotmots, the bi l l has saw-toothed edges, and the longtail is made up of a pair of racquet-shaped feathers.

The common bee-eater is found in southern Europe,south-western Asia, and Africa. Like all bee-eaters, itis a very colourful bird, and hunts insects, mainly bees,in the air lt is arboreal, but nests in burrows dug in thegr0un0.

The broad-bi l led rol ler, or the d0l lar bird, is found fromsouthern Siberia to Australia. Like most rollers, it is acolourful bird which rol ls and tumbles in the air especial lyduring courtship. l t feeds mainly on grasshoppers andl0custs.

51

WOO DPECKERS,TOUCANS, ANDTHEIR RELATIVES

The black woodpecker, about 25 cm long, is the largestof the European woodpeckers. The male has red on thetop of its head and the female has a red oatch on its neckI t is found in Europe. Siber ia, and northern Asia

The pygmy woodepcker is one of the smal lest in thewoodpecker fami ly

A woodpecker 's nest .

The great spotted w00dpecker, about 22 cmlong, is found in the forests of Europe and Asia.The male has a red patch on the neck

-Woodpeckers , t0ucans , barbe ts , and the i r re la t i ves be long to the ord : 'P ic i fo rmes. .They are a l l a rborea l b i rds . .The i r second and th i rd t0Esare d i rec ted fo rwards wh i le the f i rs t and four th po in t backwards . -Thes :

b i rds fead on f ru i ts and insec ts o f the bush lands and fo res ts in t roo icaand temperate regions.

-Woodpeckers a re typ ica l l y t ree-c l imb ing b i rds . .They have shar :c laws used in c l ing ing to the bark o f t rees . -The i r s t rong ta i l s a re use :as props aga ins t t ree- t runks . -They have la rge , wedge-shaped b i l l s usecto ch ise l in to bark to uncover g rubs . .The i r tongues are long and s t i ck iwith barbs at the t ip. . Woodpeckers can thrust their tongues into crevicesin search of grubs. -They l ive in forests throughout the world except irAustral ia and Madagascar,

The cr imson-backed woodpecker, about 30 cm long. sfound in Asia. lt has a distinct crimson streak do$'r'i ts back.

The imper ia l woodpecker, about 56 cmlong, is the largest woodpecker. l t isfound in Mexico

TOUCANS*Toucans are found in the t rop ica l fo res ts o fCentral and South America. "They have large,br igh t ly co loured b i l l s wh ich curve downwardsand are h0 l low. - Toucans feed main lv on f ru i ts .

The toco toucan, about 64 cm long, is the largest of thetoucans. l t is found in the forests of Guiana and Brazi l .

BABBETS- Barbets a re smal le r re la t i ves o f woodoeckers-They are p lump b i rds w i th shor t necks and b igheads. "The i r b i l l s a re heavv and have br is t lesr0und them " Barbets a re a rborea l , t rop ica l b i rdsfound espec ia l l y in A f r i ca .

The golden-throated barbet is found in s0uth-easternAsia. l t measures about 23 cm

52

PERCHING BIRDS

The lesser green broadbil l is about 15 cm long. l t isfound in south-eastern Asia.

The naked-throated bel l -b i rd is found in north-easternBrazi l The male is whi te wi th a bare face and green-coloured throat The female has plumage of green andgrey

"Perching birds belong to the order Passeriformes which is by far thelargest order of the bird populat ion. .These birds have three toes in front

and one behind at the same level. Their feet are best suited to perching.* Perch ing b i rds have a we l l -deve l0ped syr inx o r sound-box wh ich enab lesthem t0 sing, the males often being the better singers. .The young ofperching birds are hatched with very l i t t le down (soft feathers). They

are cared for by their parents t i l l they can fend for themselves. - Perchingbirds are land birds of small to medium size. The largest are the ravens

and lyre-birds. - Birds of the order Passeriformes are found throughout the

world except in the Antarct ic regions. -There are over sixty-f ive famil ies

of perching birds, the more popular famil ies being featured in this book.

BBOADBITTS-Broadbil ls belong to the family Eurylainidae. -They are plump birdsmeasuring about 12 to 28 cm. -They have large heads with short necks..Their bi l ls are f lattened and hooked. . Broadbil ls are distr ibuted through'out Asia and Afr ica.

The long+ai led broadbi l l ranges f rom the Himalayas toIndo-China and south-eastern Asia.

OVEN-BIBDS. 0ven-birds belong to the familyFurnariidae. . The nests of these birdsare unusual, being made of mud, grass,and straw, and are oven-shaped..0ven-birds are found from southernMexico to Patagonia.

The pla in xenops is an oven-birdfound from Mexico to Brazil ltmeasures about 12 cm.

The rufous oven-bird. often cal led the baker,is found in southern Brazi l and Argentina. l tmeasures about 20cm. The 'oven' of thisbird is about 30 cm in diameter and weighs asmuch as 5 kg.

COTINGAS-Cotingas belong to the family Cotingidae and are found in South America,-The birds of this group are as diverse in colour as they are in size andshape. .The bell-birds, the cock-of-the-rocks, and the fruit crows arethe more popular b i rds of th is fami ly .

The Peruvian cock-of-the-rock is found in the northernAndes, and f rom Columbia to Peru The male is about30 cm long and has a large crest

The nest of the rufous oven-bird.53

FLYCATCHERS,LYRE.BIRDS,AN D PITTAS

A narcissus f lycatcher feeding y0ung.

- New World f lycatchers, often known as tyrant f lycatchers, belong to thlanily Tyrannidae. .They have dull plumage. .Their broad beaks hetbrist les at the base as is characterist ic of birds which hunt insects in t l :

air. 'Most are noisy and aggressive,

The red-breasted pit ta is found in thePhil ippines, New Guinea, -and theMoluccas.

Steere's pitta measures about 20 cmand is found in the Phil ippines.

PIITAS.Pittas belong to the family Pit t idae. -They are very colourful birds ofthe 0ld World tropics. . These birds spend most of their t ime on the ground

and feed on insec ts . -They are found in A f r i ca , Aus t ra l ia , and espec ia l l yin south-eastern Asia.

The narcissus flycatcher. about12.5 cm long. summers in China.Korea, and Japan. and migratesto Indonesia and the Phil ippinesin winter. The male is blackand yellow, the female brownish.

{

The acadian f lvcatcher measures about 15 cmand is found in the eastern Uni ted States

O[D WOBTD FTYCAIGHERS. 0ld World f lycatchers belong to the familyMuscicapidae. They are the equivalents of theNew World f lycatchers. -Their bi l ls are shortand f lat with long brist les at the base. " Fly-catchers feed on insects by snapping their prey

on the wing and returning to their perch t0 eatslowly. -Most f lycatchers l ive in trees. -Their

nests are cup-shaped.

The great kiskadee measffiabout 23 cm in length. lt rangesfrom southern Texas to Argen-trna.

The Japanese blue flycatcher is thelargest bird in this family. lt is af ine songbird, the malelouring outmelodies throughout the breedingseason. The male has blue plumage,the female brownish. lt summersin Japan, Korea, and Manchuria, butwinters in the Malay Peninsula.

tYBE-BIRDS. Lyre-birds belong to the family Menuridae-* Because of their long tai ls, they were once

mistaken for pheasants. However, the presence

of their complex syt inx (sound-box) places themamong the perching birds. - Lyre-birds are able

to mimic sounds l ike the hooting of a locomotiveor the barking of dogs. .They are found only in

Austral ia.

The superb lyre-bi rd. about 1.3 m in length, is found in the forests o is0uth-eastern Austra l ia. The outer feathers of the ta i l on the male areshaped l ike a lyre

A Japanese blue f lycatcher Ieeding i ts young.

54

LARKS, SWAILOWS,AND ORIOLES

SWAIIOWS AND MABTINS.swallows and mart ins belong to the family Hirundinidae. .They have

slender bodies, pointed wings, and forked tai ls. -They congregate in

large f locks. -They are migratory birds f lying, sometimes thousands of

miles, to warmer cl imates during winter. .They nest in hol lows of trees

or in bunows in the ground. Sometimes they bui ld nests of mud plastered

on a ledge.

The house martin, about 13 cm long,is found in Europe and Asia. l tbuilds its nest of mud under roofsor on steep clifls. In Japan largecolonies of house martins, nestingon rocky cliffs, are a touristattraction.

The barn swal low, about 15 cm long, is found in Europe,Asia, and North America. lt builds its nest in barns,under roofs, in trees, and on cliff ledges.

"Larks belong to the family Alaudidae. -They are small dul l-coloured

birds noted for their song. . Larks dif fer from other birds in having the

falsus ( longest part 0f the exposed leg) rounded and scaled. " Most larks

l ive in open country and are strong f l iers.

The skylark, about 17 cm long. is found intemperate Eurasia and northern Africa. lt hasinspired famous poets such as Percy ByssheShelley who wrote Ia a Skyla*,

t

The horned lark measures about16cm. l t l ives in Eurasia, north-ern Afr ica, and the Americas.

{

The brown-breasted martin ranges from Colombiaand Venezuela to Argentina. lt measures about20 cm.

OtD WORTD ORIOTES- 0ld World orioles belongto the family 0riolidae.- They feed mainly on insectsand fruits in trooical forestsoI the 0ld World. - Theirnests are usually cup-shaped.- Some or io les are excel lentmrmtcs.

The golden or io le is found in *

Europe and south-western Asia.The male is br ight yel low wi thblack wings and ta i l . The femaleis yel lowish-green.

'The cliff swallow ranges from Canada to Mexico'

I t measures about 15 cm. I

IThe black-cowled or io le is foundin southern Mexico, Panama, andthe Car ibbean. l t belongs to thelamily lcteidae which is the SouthAmerican equivalent 0f the 0ld Worldor io les.

The maroon oriole ranges from the+ Himalayas to Formosa. l t measures

about 23 cm.55

A barn swal low leeding i ts young.

CROWS ANDBOWER-BIRDS

The rook, about 45 cm long. is often mistaken for acarrion crow. but its bill and head are smaller. lt nestsin large colonies and is found in Europe.

The common magpie is the only jay found in most partsof the world. lt measures about 45 cm.

The turquoise jay is found in the AndesColombia to Peru. lt is about 33 cm long.

The green magpie ranges from the Himalayas to Indo-Chinaand south-eastern Asia, lt measures about 35 cm.

BOWEB-BIBDS. Bower-birds belong to the family Ptilonorhynchidae. * During the matingseason they use sticks to build domed bowers (shady places 0r shelters)which thev decorate with feathers and shells. . The birds mate withinthese bowers, but build their nests in trees. * Bower-birds are found inAustralia and New Guinea.

- Crows and jays belong to the family Corvidae. . They are the most intel l i -gent of al l birds. "They are aggressive and are often found near humanhabitat ions (houses), -They l ive in f0rests, bushland, and grassland,

feeding on anything they can swallow, animal 0r vegetable. "They bui ldlarge, open nests of twigs and st icks on cl i f fs or in trees. . Crows haveblack plumage. "Jays, unl ike crows, are brightly coloured and are

a more varied group of birds. -They feed mainly on vegetable matter,

but eat small animals as well . . Crows and jays are found throughout

the world except in Antarct ica, New Zealand, and southern SouthAmerica.

The lungle crow, about 43 cm long, is found in the forestsof India. Sri Lanka, Burma, and south-eastern Asia, some-times visiting cities and villages to scavenge. lt feedson refuse, fruits, canion, small mammals, and birds.

The canion crow, about 47 cm long, lives near humandwellings. lt is found in temperate Eurasia. lt is themost conspicuous bird in India, eating anything man willeat, as well as carrion (decaying flesh).

The raven, about 63 cm long, is the largest b i rd in th isfami ly l t is found throughout m0st 0f the NorthernHem isphere

The spotted bower-bird measures about 30 cm. lt livesin eastern Australia.

The satin bower-bird measures about 33 cm. lt lives ineastern Australia.

56

The bower of a bower-bird.

BIRDS-O F.PARADISEAND TITMICE

-Birds-of-paradise belong to the family Paradisaeidae. "Despite theirmagnif icent feathers, they are not related to the peacock. -They perchin trees and bui ld their nests on branches. . They are songbirds and l ivein the forests of New Guinea.

.Titmice belong to the family Paridae. -They are intel l igent, easi lytamed, act ive, l i t t le birds. . They feed mainly on insects. but also eatseeds, small fruits, and benies, when insects are scarce in winter. " Somestore up food for later use, .They nest in cavit ies or holes in posts andtrees, or in nooks and crannies in rocky cl i f fs. .Tits are found mainlyin the temperate regions of Europe and Asia.

The lesser bird-of-paradise

iThe great bird-of-paradise

{

The l i t t le k ing +bird-of-paradise

The long-ta i led t i t is about 13 cm long, 7.5 cm of which +is the length of i ts ta i l . l t makes a beaut i fu l bag- l ike nestof moss, l ichens, and spider-webs The nest has a s ideentrance and is l ined wi th feathers. The long-ta i led t i tlives in the forests of Eurasia, and feeds on insects andgru0s.

IThe red-plumedbird-of-paradise.

The wil low t i t , about 11 cm long,l ives in scrub and woods, feedingon insects and seeds l t is found inNorth America and northern Eurooeand Asia.

The great t i t , about 14 cm long. is the largest +of the tits. lt is found mostly in forests, parks,and gardens throughout most of Europe, north-western Africa. and Asia.

The varied t i t l ives in the low. mountain forests of Manchuria,

Japan, and Korea. In Japan i tis used to oick out fortune cardsat shrine festivals and at streetcorners. lt is trained by itsmaster to collect the fee andpick out sl ips of paper on whichlortunes have been written.

Tits are among the most adaptable of the smallb i rds . They are br igh t -eyed, cur ious , and unaf ra id .Man has taught them tr icks such as acrobatics,p ick ing ou t cards , and co l lec t ing th ings . Manyspec ies w i l l nes t in b i rd -boxes and read i l y ea tfood put out for them in winter.

The oenduline t i t is found insouthern and eastern EuropeIt measures about l l cm.

57

The twelve-wired bi rd-of-oaradise

A great tit.

The standard wingedbird-of-paradise.

N UTHATCH ES,BABBLERS, BULBULS,AN D LEAFBIRDS

tI

The pygmy nuthatch measures about 10 cm andis found in western North Amerrca

The red-capped babbler ranges f rom theHimalayas to Indo-China and Indonesia. l tmeasures about 17 cm.

B U T B U L S. Bulbuls belong to the family Pycnonotidae" Most o f them are du l l co loured , bo th sexes hav ings imi la r co lour ing . .They are t ree-dwel l ing b i rds ,feeding on fruits and occasional ly on insects.- The i r nes ts a re cup-shaped. - Bu lbu ls a rep0pu lar songb i rds o f sou thern As ia and Af r i ca .

The velvet-fronted nuthatch is found in southeastern Asia. l t measures about 12 cm.

The black.crested babbler , about 10 cm long,has a peaked, b lack crest . l t is found f rom theeastern Himalavas to western China

" Nuthatches belong to the family Sit t idae. . They are small birds withstrong bi l ls which they use t0 extract insects from crevices in the bark oft rees . -They feed on insec ts and seeds . -They are acrobat ic and c l imbt rees ver t i ca l l y .

" Babblers belong to the family Tinal i idae. -They are 0ld World birdsfound in Austral ia and Afr ica, but mostly in Asia. .They have soft. f luffyp lumage. *Many are du l l -co loured and most a re no isy . -Babb lers ea tinsec ts , though some eat f ru i ts and seeds as we l l . "They l i ve main ly inforests.

II

The white-breasted nuthatch ranges from s0uthernCanada to Mexico l t measures about 14 cm.

IThe fa i ry b luebird inhabi ts forests f rom northernIndia to Indo-China and Indonesia. l t measuresabout 25 cm

IThe grey-crowned scimitar babbler is found inAustral ia l t is about 25 cm in length.

TEAFBI RDS"Leafbirds belong to the family Choloropseidae..They are f ine s ingers and good mimics . "They

are br i l l i an t l y co loured and feed on f ru i ts . .The i r

nests are cup-shaped. . Leafbirds l ive in treetopsin the forests of south-eastern Asia.

II

The golden-fronted leafbi rd is found in south-easlern Asia.I t measures about 20 cm and is a popular cagebird.

The yel low-ventedbird in Singaporeabou t 19 cm

bu lbu l i s aand Malaysia

very c0mm0nrI measures

The red-whiskered bulbul rangesto China and south-eastern Asia20 cm l ong

from IndiaI t is about

58

DIPPERS, WRENS,THRUSHES, ANDM O CKIN G-BIRDS

The common dipper ranges from Europe to theHimalayas. lt measures about 17 cm.

THRUSHES*Thrushes befong to the family Turdidae. '0t

all birds, thrushes are the most famous songbirds.- They feed on worms, insects, and fruits.- Thrushes are found throughout the world exceptin the Arctic and Antarctic and some Polynesianlslands.

/ { . ' i : , i4 M_ : , f \

The nightingale, about 16 cm long, is found in Europeand south-western Asia. lt is a renowned songbird.

The orange-billed nightingalethrush is loundMexico to Venezuela. lt measures about 16 cm.

. Dippers belong to the family Cinclidae. . They have dull-coloured plumage.- Dippers are the only aquatic perching birds, and live along cool mountainstreams. . They are not good surface swimmers, but swim well under water.. They feed mainly on water insects and sometimes on fry (lhe young of f ish).

. Wrens belong to the family Troglodytidae. . Most of them are about15 cm long. .They have s lender, pointed b i l ls . .Most l ive c lose to theground and feed on insects. "Al l except the winterwren l ive in the NewWorld (the Americas).

The wren. known to Americans as-the winterwren, is found in the Northern Hemisphere.It is about 10 cm long.

The dusky thrush is a rare autumn visitor t0 Europe fromAsia. lt is about 24 cm long, and has very dark plumage.

The cactus wren l ives on dry. t reeless s lopesof the western Uni ted States and Mexico. l tmeasures about 20 cm.

MOCKIi IG-BIBDS-Mocking-birds belong to the family Minidae.- These birds are fine singers and excellentmimics. -They l ive near the ground and feed0n insects and fruits. -They are found in NorthAmerica.

The mocking-bird, about 25 cm long, is noted for i tswonderfu l s inging. l t is fodnd in the southern Uni tedStates and Mexico.

The Siberian thrush, about 23 cm long, is a rather shybird. lt is found in northern Asia.

59

A dusky thrush.

WABBTERS ANDWAGTAILS

-0ld World warblers belong to the family Sylviidae. -They are smallact ive b i rds wi th dul l -co loured p lumage. -They feed on insects. 'Most

warblers are arboreal and build open, cup-shaped nests.-The wood warblers, or the New World warblers, belong to the family

Parulidae. -They resemble the 0ld World warblers in size and shape.and they have s imi lar modes of l i fe . - However, they have d is t inct p lumagein spr ing and autumn, unl ike the 0 ld Wor ld warblers.

The bush warbler is an expertimi tator of other b i rds ' songs. l tfeeds on insects and nectar, and isfound in gardens, parks, and woodsin Europe and Asia.

The common tai lor-bird, about 12 cm long, is a well-known bird in India, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Malaysia. ltsnest consists of a pair of leaves sewn together andstuffed with dried grass and plantJibre. T0 build thenest, the tailor-bird pierces holes in the edges of theleaves with its sharp beak. Then it sews the leavestogether with cobwebs or plant-fibre to form a smallp0ucn.

The blue-headed wagtai l , about16 cm long, has a blue-greycapped head and a br ight yel lowunderside. lt lives in marshyand cultivated fields in Eurooeand western Siberia

The hooded warbler has a lengthof about 14 cm. lt is found inthe eastern United States.

The willow warbler, about 11 crnlong, is commonly found inparks. large gardens, and forestsIts song is a soft, musicalwarble.

The magnol ia warbler is foundin Canada. l t is about 12 cmlong.

WAGIAITS. Wagtails belong to the family Motacillidae..They are s lender -bod ied b i rds tha t wa lk andrun rap id ly , c0n t inua l l y pumping the i r ta i l s upand down. . They never hop. . They are strongf l ie rs , -Wagta i l s feed on insec ts and l i ve nearwater o r in swampy mead0ws. . They bu i ld f rag i lenests 0f straw and twigs on the ground. - Wagtai lsare abundant in Euras ia and Af r i ca .

The great reed warbler, about 19 cm long, iscommonly found among reeds at the edges ollakes. lt is found in southern and cenralEurope, North America, and Asia,

A whi te wagtai l .

The whi te wagtai l is the best known. l tranges throughout Eurasia, AIr ica, Japan,and the Phi l ippines.

SHRIKES ANDSTARLIN GS

The great grey shrike is the largestone. lt prefers wooded areas to opencountry. lt is found in Europe, Asia,North America, and Africa.

The red-backed shr ikebreeds throughout Eu-rope and western Asia.It lives in bushy heaths,plantations. and gardens.The male s ings andmimics wel l .

.shrikes belong to the family Lani idae. *Most are dul l coloured and

have hooked b i l l s . -The i r legs and fee t a re s t rong and the i r c laws are

sharp . .A l though they feed main ly on insec ts , they a lso prey on smal l

mammals, birds. l izards, and frogs. They catch their prey and impale i t

on la rge thorns o f t rees or bushes , thus earn ing themse lves the name'bu tcher -b i rd ' . -They are found th roughout Nor th Amer ica , Europe, As ia ,

A f r i ca , Indones ia , and New Guinea.

The crested shrike is about21 cm in length. l t is found inAfrica

The amethyst star l ing is foundin t rooical Afr ica. l t measuresabout 17 cm.

The bul l-headed shrike l ives in themountains during spring and summerand re tu rns to the p la ins andolateaus in autumn and winter. ltis found in eastern Asia.

SIABLINGS

" Star l ings be long to the fami lySturnidae. - They are active, noisybirds of medium size. - Most star-l ings are not brightly coloured..They have strong legs and feet,and most of them have a characteris-t ic cocky walk. -They prefer opencountry where they f eed mainlyon insects and fruits. " Somestar l ings are good mimics . -They

are f ound in the 0 ld Wor ld .

The common starling is the most widely distrib-uted lt originated in Europe but is now foundin many parts of the wor ld This hardy bi rdmeasures about 21 cm

A red-backed shr ike feeding i ts young.

SUN.BIRDS, - Sun-birds belong to the f amily /ecta inidae. - fhey are brill iantly coloured,somewhat s imi la r to humming-b i rds . -Most measure less than 15 cm-They have long, pointed, downcurved bi l ls for feeding on nectar. *Sun-

birds l ive in the tropical forests of the () ld World..White-eyes belong to the family Zostercpidea. -They have a dist inct

white r ing round their eyes. - These birds rarely measure more than 14 cm.-They feed on nectar and are found in the () ld World.

WHITE.EYES, VIREOS,AND TANAGEBS

The regal sun-bird is about12 cm long. l t ranges fromthe Congo to Uganda.

The 0r ien ta l wh i te -eyemeasures about 10 cm. ltranges from India to thePhil ippines.

The yellow spectacled zos-terops is the only white-eyewithout the white eye ring.It is found in lndonesia.

The purple sun-bird measuresabout 10 cm. lt ranges fromIndia ro Indo-China.

vrRE0s- Vireos belong to the family Virconidae. . Mostof them have p la in o l ive-green or grey ish-brownplumage. .They are smal l b i rds measur ing between10 and 15 cm and l ive in the New Wor ld.

The red-eyed vireo measuresabout 15 cm. l t is the mostwidely d ist r ibuted one, rang-ing f rom southern Canada toArgent ina

The yel lowthroated v i reomeasures about 14 cm. l tis found in eastern NorthAmerica.

TANAGERS.Tanagers belong to the family Thraupidae. *They

are gaudily-coloured birds measuring less than20 cm. " They are found in the New World, especial lyin South America.

The scarlet tanager meas-ures about 17 cm. l t isfound in eas tern Nor thAmerica.

The golden-masked tanageris one of the most commonIt ranges from southern Mexi.co to the Amazon.

62

SEED.EATERS " Seed-eaters, which include the f inches and sparrows, are divided intotwo large famil ies - the f ingi l l idae (New World seed-eaters) and thePloceidae (0ld World seed-eaters). "The main feature of al l these birdsis the i r shor t , po in ted , con ica l b i l l wh ich is su i ted pr imar i l y t0 ea t ingseeds. .The seed-eaters total more than 650 species. 0nly a few re-presentatives of both famil ies are shown here. They are popular birdsfound throughout the world.

The common cardinal ranges fromthe United States to southern Mexico.It measures about 20 cm.

The blue grosbeak ranges f rom the southern Uni ted Statesto Costa Rica. l t measures aboul 16 cm.

The indigo bunting ranges from southernFlorida and Texas. l t is about 12 cm long.

The woodpecker f inch, about 1 2 cm long, is one of Darwin's{ inches. l t is found in the Galapagos lslands. Thisbird is unique in i ts habit of using a ' tool ' , usual ly atwig or cactus thorn, to probe for insects in the crevicesof bark.

The buff-throated saltat0r is ab0ut20 cm long. lt is found from Mexicoto Paraguay.

The painted bunting ranges from the southern UnitedStates t0 Mexico. lt measures about 13 cm

The snow bunt ing is about 16 cm inlength. l t is found in the Arct ic .

The saffron finch ranges from Vene-zuela to Argentina. lt is about 14 cmr0ng.

63

The European goldf inch

The redpol l

Java sparrows.

The Java sparrow is a popular cagebird. l t is found inIndonesia and parts of Malaysia

The European goldf inch measures about 14 cm l t isfound in Europe, western Asia, and n0rth-westernAfrica.

The bul l f inch is found in temDerate Eurasia l t is about1 5 cm l ong .

The red avadarat ranges f rom India to Indo-China andIndonesia. l t is about 7 cm long

The redpol l l ives in Scandinavia. l t is about 14 cm long

The black-headed bunt ing is lound in southern Europe andsouth-western Asia- l t measures about 16 cm

The pine bunt ing is about 14 cm long. l t is found inEurasia

The canary is the best-known cagebird. l t or ig inatedin the Canary ls lands and has been introduced t0 severalparts of the wor ld. Many var iet ies have been produced

through select ive breeding. The red canary is one suchvailelv.

The meadow bunt ing measures about 15 cm. l t rangesfrom Turkestan to Jaoan

The house sparrow, about 15 cm long, is found in moslparts 0f the () ld World. This fami l iar b i rd has adaptedmost successful ly to l i fe in c i t ies and v i l lages

The crossbi l l l ives in coni ferous forests. l t is foundin northern Europe, central Asia, north-western Africa.and northern America.

The s isk in is about 12 cm in length. l t is found in Eurasia,

The canary

The red avadarat

61

The house sparrow

The c lass Mammal ia inc ludes ra ts . horses , ca ts , e lephants , and ba ts am0ngo t h e r s , M a m m a l s a r e t h e o n l y a n i m a l s w h i c h h a v e m i l k - s e c r e t i n g g l a n d sand ha i r - the two fea tures tha t eas i l y d is t ingu ish them f rom a l l o theran imals They g ive b i r th (w i th the except ion o f monot remes) to the i ryoung wh ich are suck led ( fed on mi lk ) . Mammals a re warm-b looded andhave a four -chambered hear t . Most have tee th wh ich are roo ted in socketsThe i r b ra ins a re we l l deve looeo.

The cheetah is the fastest mammal

:;{.qr'

MONOTREMES(EGG-rAYrNG MAMMALS)

THE SPINY ANT-EATEB.The sp iny an t -ea ter , o r ech idna, looks l i ke a hedgehog w i th sp ines oni ts back and s ides , as we l l as ha i r . . l t i s about 40 cm long. . Un l i ke o thermammals, i t is not able to maintain i ts body temperature. " The spinyant-eater has no external ears. . l ts muzzle is long and beak-l ike. Thereare n0 teeth in the muzzle, only a long, slender tongue, on the back of whichare numerous horny r idges. -The spiny ant-eater uses i ts tongue to cetchfood and grind i t against the roof 0f i ts m0uth. - l t uses i ts strong claws toraid ant-hi l ls or dig up termites and other insects for food.

The baby spiny ant-eater laps mi lk f rom themi lk-secret ing pores in i ts mother 's abd0menThe female spiny ant-eater has n0 teats orfreasls (mammary glands)

The skeleton of the spiny ant-ealer

.The spiny ant-eater and the duck-bi l led platypus are the 0nly membersof the order Monotremata. " Like other mammals, they have hair ancnurse the i r y0ung on mi lk . - Bu t un l i ke o ther mammals , they lay eggs"They have a s in0 le open ing fo r bo th reproduc t ion and excre t i0n

'Th sopen ing is ca l led the c loaca. . The sp iny an t -ea ter and the duck-b i l e rplatypus are found in Austral ia and Tasmania. The spiny ant-eater alsrl i ves in eas tern New Guinea.

The egg of the spiny ant-eater is about '1.5

cmlong. The egg is usual ly formed, one at a t ime,in a sac wi th in the female.

Centre bone lthe spiny anteater isthe only aninal that has this bone)

Area of n_ilk-secreting pues

Pouch in which the babv is canied

The spiny ant-eater

/ ' \ l

THE DUCK-BI t tED PTATYPUS"The duck-bi l led platypus has a cyl indrical body, with a thick, broad tai l at oneend and a long, f lat muzzle, l ike a duck's bi l l , at the other. - l t has very short legsthat end in strong, clawed feet. -The forefeet are webbed for swimming, butthe web can be folded back to leave the claws free for digging or walking on land.-The male has a spur on the ins ide o f each h ind leg , wh ich is connected to a

po ison-g land. -The female lays eggs , wh ich she c lu tches to her b reas t t i l l theyhatch. -The young feed on the milk that oozes from milk-secreting pores in the

mother's abdomen. -The duck-bi l led platypus feeds on worms, crayfish, and

other small aquatic animals i t f inds in mountain streams, lowland r ivers, ponds,

and lakes in eastern Austral ia and Tasmania.

The young of the duck-bi l led platypus lap mi lk that oozes f rom the pores of afo ld of sk in in their mother 's abdomen. The female platypus has n0 teats.

The egg of the duck-bi l ledplatypus is round, wi th adiameter of about 1.5 cm.

DISCOVERY OF THE DUCK-BILLED PTATYPUSThe duck-bi l led platypus was f irst seen in 1797 by a European coloniston the shores of a lake near the Hawkesbury River in Austral ia. He was

surprised to see this strange animal, which had the bi l l of a duck and thefur of a mammal. The European zoologists did not know what i t was whenthey examined the stuffed specimen sent to them. Some of the scientistsdid not bel ieve i t was a real animal. They thought i ts bi l l was real ly thatfrom a duck which someone had f ixed to the body of a pecul iar mammal.Their confusion increased when Everard Home, an anatomist, dissected aplatypus and discovered that i t had produced eggs. For a long t ime scientistscontinued to wonder about the relat ion between the platypus and otheran imals .

A duck-bi l led platypus

Poison-gland

Spur whichenits poison

Poison isstored here

67

MABSU PIATS(MAMMATS W|THP0ucHEs)

KANGAROOS

Bone which supportsthe pouch

The skeleton of the kangaroo includes a bone which forms part of thehip-bone and gives support to the pouch. 0nly marsupials have thisspecial bone.

Crest(pointed pail

of the lower iawbone)

The skul l of the kangaroo has only a smal l cavi tyfor the brain.

l . A new-born great grey kangaroo is only 2.5 cm long.

3 The baby kangaroo f inds i ts way into i ts mother'spounch by crgwling along the trai l she has made

- Mammals with pouches belong to the order Marsupial ia and are found0nly in Austral ia, New Guinea, North America, and South America. -They

are l ike other mammals in al l respects except one: their young are bomat such an undeveloped stage that they have to complete their developmentin the mother's pouch. . When a baby kangaroo. ot ' ioey', is born. the mothernips off the cord that joins her to the baby and l icks a path up her abdomento her pouch. - The baby makes i ts way t0 the pouch by fol lowing this trai l-" 0nce inside the pouch i t attaches i tself to one of four nipples and feedson the milk secreted. - l t stays in the pouch for 'about six months t i l l i t canl i ve independent ly .

The main features of the skul l of a marsuoialare i ts large frontal bone and i ts small braincavity. Unlike other mammals, the bone of thenose is very long, and extends to the back partof the skul l . There are 40 to 50 teeth on the upperand lower jawbones. The lower lawbone tapersto a point and bends inwards, forming the crestof the jaw,

The mother kangaroo helps her baby to find its ra1into her pouch by separating the fur on her abdonelwi th her tongue.

In the pouch, the baby kangaroo attaches itself toa nipple and begins sucking.

The tree-cl imbing kangaroo, a marsupial found inAustral ian and New Guinean forests, is between 60 and90 cm long. l t spends much t ime on the ground, but sleepsand feeds in trees.

The red kangaroo is found only in Austra l ia. l ts fur isactual ly reddish-brown l t grows to a length of about1 3 m and l ives in grassy meadows.

The koala. a marsuoial found rnthe lorests of eastern Australia.feeds only on the leaves of eucalyptustrees. lt can grow to a length of80 cm, but most koalas are about60 cm long.

The common dasyure of Tasmania is a white-spotted, browfl marsupial. lt is between 36 andtl4 cm long and has nocturnal habits.

The pouched mole, a marsupial about16.5 cm long, l ives in bunows insandy regions of Australia. lt hasa large, horny snout and protectiveeyelids. but no external ears.

The Tasmanian wolf, thelargest of meat-eatingmarsup ia ls . i s about1.2m long. l t hunts intheforests and meadows ofTasmania, but is rarelyseen today.

The sugar g l ider is a 16 cm-longmarsupial which l ives in the forestsof Austra l ia and New Guinea. l thas a nenbrane (flap of skin) oneither side of its bodv that enablesit to glide from tree to tree.

The opossum is a noctunal (active at night)marsupial, between 40 and 50 cm long. lt livesin the forests oJ North and South America. andis expert at climbing, using its prehensile(grasping) tai l as another l imb.

The Tasmanian devil is a 60 cm-l o n g m a r s u p i a l , f o u n d o n l yin the forests and rockY,regionsof Tasmania Although i t is small ,i t is powerful enough to Pulldown animals larger than i tself .

69

The wombat is a stocky, short-legged, taillessmarsupial, about a metre long. lt lives in burrowsin the fields and forests of Australia, and feedson plants only.

INSE CTIVO RES(rNsEcT-EAT|NcMAMMATS)

- Moles, shrews, hedgehogs, tenrecs, and solenodons are insectivore{,or mammals that feed mainly on insects. .They are among the smallerlof mammals-mostof them being onlyaboutthe size of a mouse. -Theyhavc

long, pointed muzzles and numerous sharp teeth. - Each tooth has severdpointed cusps that make it suitable for grasping and crushing insectr- Most insectivores have no cheek-bones or collar-bones. - They are usuallyshort-legged, with five toes 0n each foot. - The toes are clawed, but theyare not used for grasping as they are not opposable (capable of facing eadother). -All members of t lr is order l ive in tunnels or burrows. *The morccommon insectivores are moles and shrews. . Shrews form the largestfamily of the group.

Savi's pygmy shrew, the world'ssmallest mammal, measures only6.3 cm. 2 5 cm of which arethe tai l . l t is found in Afr ica.southern Europe, and southernAsia.

The otter-shrew. found nerrivers and streams in tropicalAfrica. eats fish and shellfish,as well as insects. lt is amongthe largest of insectivores, andcan grow to a total length of60 cm.

'1. The skul l of the shrew

The jaws of the shrew workl ike a pair of pincers or twbezers.

When the shrew walks, the ent i re sole of eachfoot touches the ground.

The golden mole is an insect ivore about 10 cmin length. l t has fur of a shiny gold colour. l t d igstunnels in f lat grasslands. The golden mole isfound in central and southern Afrira.

70

The solenodon is a nocturnal insectivore, aboul48 cm long. lt looks like a rat, and has a long,pointed muzzle and large ears. lt is found in theWest Indies.

A common mole.

The common hedgehog has spines, as wel l as coarsehair , on i ts round body. When alarmed, i t pr icks up i tsspines before ro l l ing into a bal l for protect ion. Unl ikemoles and shrews, i t eats snai ls , s lugs, eggs, and evenmice and snakes. l t is about 28 cm long, and is foundin Europe. China, and Korea

The jumping shrew is also known as the elephant shrewbecause of i ts t runk- l ike snout. Unl ike most otherinsectivores, it has large eyes and ears, as well as longhindlegs and a scaly ta i l . The species ranges in s izefrom 17 to 58 cm. and is found in southern Afr ica.

The Malayan gymnure, 0r moon rat , is real ly a hedgehogal though i t lacks spines. l t has a hair less ta i l , and cangrow t0 a length of about 30 cm l t is found in south-eastern Asia

The common mole has a 15 cm-long body, a short ta i l ,and a pointed muzzle. lt uses its stout forefeet, withtheir sharp c laws, for d igging l t is found in Europe andAsia.

The Asiatic water shrew has a 9.5 cm-lot1g body and ashort, broad snout. lt is found near livers 8nd streamsin south-western Asia.

The common tenrec is a tai l less, 35 cm-long insectivore,found only in Madagascar. l t resembles a hedgehog inhaving spines on i ts body. as well as short, brist ly hair.

11

FTYING TEMUBS .Flying lemurs belong to the order Dermoptera. .They are plant-eatingmammals which can

'fly' or glide. . Flying lemurs have a nembnne lflag

of skin) that extends from the neck and forefeet to the hind-feet and eyenthe tai l . - When this membrane is stretched, the animals can gl ide a distanceof about 60 m. . Flying lemurs are about 40 cm in length. . They are dif ferentfrom f lying squinels in that the latter do not have webbed toes. 'Their

teeth are also peculiar - the upper incisors (front teeth) and canines(sharp, pointed teeth) have two roots, while the incisors on the lower ja

have a number of pointed cusps (project ions) which give them a comb-l ikeappearan ce.

The lower incisors of the flyinglemur are comb teeth.

The f ly ing lemur c l imbs high up atree when i t is d isturbed.

There are only two species ofin the lungles of south-easternthe f lying lemur is found.

the f lying lemur. They are both foundAsia. The area in red indicates where

Then it takes a flying leap tothe next tree.

A stuffed flying lemur.

BATS*Bats a re t rue f l y ing mammals be long ing to the order Ch i rop tera . .They

use their wing membranes to f ly l ike birds. - Four of the f ingers on eachhand are extremely long. while the other f inger or thumb is short and hooked."The f ive toes on each foot are free, with long, curved claws. *Bats usetheir claws t0 gr00m their fur and hook themselves to branches, rocks,

or any other prop. -They rest during the day by hanging upside down.-At night. they f ind their way about by using mainly their keen sense of

hearing. -Bats are divided into two main groups: the fruit-bats and theinsectivorous bats. " Fruit-bats are usually larger than insectivorous ones.

TEEIH OF AN INSECTIVOBOUS BAT

lnsect ivorous bats have teethfor hold ing shel led insects andfo r c rush ing t he i nsec t s ' ha rdc0vefl ng.

The horseshoe bat wi thi ts wings fo lded.

BONES OF A BAT'S WING

Second finger

Side view

Side view

Third finger

TEETH OF A FBUIT.BAT

Frui t -bats have teeth for mashingfru i t .

Fourth fingerFilth finger

(Note that the bones of four o{ the f ingers areelongated t0 support a greater wing-spread )

/ J

A fru i t -bal

Top view

r q

Top view

The Old World sheath-ta i led bat has a ta i l that emergesfrom the tail membrane. lts tip hangs free from theupper surface of the membrane. This bat is about 6 cml0ng. l t is found in Madagascar and south-easternAsia.

The fruit-bat feeds on a varietyof fruits in the jungles of south-eastern Asia and eastern Aus-tral ia. l t is very large, measuringabout 40 cm.

The t ube -nosed ba t hasprotruding tubular nostr i ls . I t isbetween 5 and 7 cm long, andis found in south-eastem Asia.

The common bat feeds on f l ies andsmal l beet les, and roosts in crevicesof bui ld ings. l t is about 4.8 cm long.and is found in Eurooe and south-westernand eastern Asia.

The vampire-bat feeds solely on the fresh blood of animals- inc luding man - and is a carr ier of d iseases, such asrabies. lt is the most agile bat on the ground as it can useboth its arms and legs to run. lt is about 7.8 cm long, and isfound in tropical regions of Central and South America.

The bent-winged bat is an insect-eater ,found in south-eastern Asia, southernEurope. New Guinea, and Austra l ia l tis smal l . measur ing between 5.2 and6 8 c m .

The lesser horseshoe bat resembles thegreater horseshoe bat but has a smal lerwing-spread. l t is found in Europe, Asia,and northern Afr ica.

The American leaf-nosed bat has an elongated muzzleand a long, s lender tongue, which i t uses to col lectnectar and pol len f rom f lowers l t is about 6,8 cm long,and is found in t ropical regions of America

74

PRIMATES *Tree-shrews, lemurs, monkeys. apes, and man belong to the order ofprimates. .They have long, supple l imbs, the bones of which are freelyjointed. "Their hands and feet are large, with f lattened nai ls t ipping thefingers and toes, rather than claws. -Their thumbs are opposable, acharacterist ic which makes the hands part icularly agi le. - Unl ike mostother animals, primates see in colour. -They also have binocular (or two-eyed) vision because their eyes are at the front of the head. - The head canturn readify on the neck. 'The head has short laws and alasge craniun(brain case), which holds a well-developed brain. *Among primates, manhas the most highly developed brarn, giving him a remarkable degree ofin te l l igence.

ABEAS OT SMEI-I AttID SIGHI ItU THEBBAIiIS OF CEBTAIIII MAMMATSThe parts in brown show the areas associatedwith the sense of smell; those in green, thesense of sight.

The mole's brain.

The tree-shrew's brain

The lemur's brain.

Japanese macaques.The Japaiese macaque's

brain.

Plimates have opposable thumbs, which they use with the other fingerst0 grasp objects. With the exception of man, they also have opposablebig toes. Their fingers are ridged, and make impressions 0r prints.

HAiIDS

Lemur.

FEETLemur.

Squinel.

Squinel.

Japanese macaque.

Japanese macaque. Gorilla.

Many primates have flat nails, instead of claws.

(]ld Worldmonkey.

IHE PBIMATE FAMITYTBEE

Gori l la.

Flat nail (Japanese nacaque).

Finger hone

Curved nail (dogl.

Finger bonc75

PROSIMIANSThe ear ly p r imates such as t ree-shrews, lemurs , and ta rs ie rs a re known asprosimians (pro is the Latin term for 'before'

and sinian is the Latin name for'monkey ' . )

A l though pros imians are c lose ly re la ted t0 s imians , there are somedi f fe rences be tween them. Pros imians are less in te l l igen t than s imians . Theyare a lso less ag i le w i th the i r hands and fee t . They have one or two curved na i l s ,a t the t ip o f each hand and foo t wh i le s imians have on ly f la t na i l s . The noses o f

p ros imians are lower on the face than those o f s im ians , and they usua l ly p ro t ruc*

beyond the lower jaw. Prosimians are nocturnal, whi le simians are diurnal lacl, '*

dur ing the day) . Members o f the pros imian fami ly inc lude the t ree-shrew, lemu;aye-aye, bush-baby. lor is, and the tarsier. They are found in Asia and Afnaaa l though foss i l s o f p ros imians as o ld as 60 to 70 mi l l ion years have been d ,s -covered in Eurooe and Amer ica .

The t ree-shrew is very much l ike a squinel , but i t has a long,whiskered snout l t is a quarrelsome animal , which l ivesin t rees in the jungles of southern and south-eastern Asia.I t is about 20 cm in length.

The potto has a round body, about 35 cm in length. lt haslarge eyes, smal l ears, and wool ly , fawn lur . l t l ives on f ru i tsand leaves in the rain-forests of western and eastern Africa.

The indr is, found in Madagascar, measures about 90 cmIt has very long hindlegs and an elongated muzzle. l t t ravelsin leaps, and is d iurnal .

The bush-baby or Galago is about 18 cm long, wi th a round,funy body, large ears and eyes, and a long, bushy tail. lt isa popular pet animal, whose cries at night resemble a humanbaby's. lt is found in Africa, south of the Sahara.

The tars ier feeds on insects in the lungles of the Phi l ippines,Borneo, and Sumatra. lts round body is only about 12 cmlong although its total length is 25 cm. lt has a round facewith unusual ly large eyes, the pupi ls of which contractto p in-points in dayl ight .

The r ingtai led lemur measures about 1.2 m from nose totail. lt feeds 0n insects and fruits, and is found in thinly woodedand dry. rocky parts of Madagascar.

The s lender lor is is so-cal led because i t is a s lender animal .with long, thin legs, large eyes, and a pointed snout. lt isabout 20 cm long, and is found in southern India and Sr i Lanka.

The lesser dwarf lemur, the smallest 0f primates, has atotal length of 25 cm. lt is a mouse-like insectivore thatnests in tall trees in the forests ol Madagascar.

The aye-aye is about 40 cm long, and is found in the lunglesof eastern Madagascar. l t has large incisors and long, th inf ingers, the middle f inger being even longer and th inner. l tuses th is middle f inger to hook insect larvae f rom their holes.

The aye-aye.

THE NEW WOBI-D MONKEYSThe New World monkeys are so called because they aie found only in the NewVtlorld, that is in North and South America. The New World monkeys are generallydivided into two groups. Marmosets and tamarins form one group, while theother inc ludes the spider-monkey, capuchin monkey, squinel -monkey, and thewoolly saki monkey. Unlike the 0ld World monkeys, whose nostri ls are closetogether and face downwards, the New World monkeys have nostri ls that are

wide apart. They have four more teeth than man, and n0 cheek pouches. New

World monkeys are the only monkeys that have a prehensi le tai l that can be

used for grasping and balancing, except for the owl-monkey, uakari, marmoset,

saki, and the tamarin. The New World monkeys are most act ive during the day.

They feed on insects, birds'eggs, fruits, and leaves, and are found in lunglesfrom southern Mexico to northern Argentina.

The capuchin monkey.

The spider monkey

The squinel-monkey.

The capuchin monkey is entirely black except ar0und theface and shoulders. lts black top makes it look like a hoodedcapuchin friar. lt is about 40 cm long, and is found in thejungles of Central and South America.

The howler, the largest of New World monkeys, has a largelower law and a swollen throat. l t can howl so loud that i tcan be heard about 4 km away. l t is about 58 cm long, andis found in jungles from southern Mexico to northern Argentina.

The squinel-monkey is only about 30 cm long and is extremelyagile. lt lives in large communities by the rivers of the AmazonBasin.

The spider-monkey looks like a huge spider because of itslong, thin limbs and prehensile tail. lt is about 45 cm long,and is found in jungles from southern Mexico to Uruguay.

The woolly saki is a strange-looking monkey, with thick,long hair and a bushy tail like that of a fox. lt lives in treesin the Amazon jungles, and is about 43 cm long. lts bushytai l is not prehensi le.

The night monkey, a nocturnal animal about 30 cm long, isfound in the jungles of Central and South America. lt hasvery large eyes. lt spends the day in tree hollows.

The woolly monkey has a sad-looking face, a short prehensi letai l , and thick, woolly hair. l t is found in the Orinoco andAmazon Basins, where it feeds mainly on fruits, leaves, andflowers although it sometimes eats the flesh of other animals.I t is about 55 cm in length.

The common marmoset has white eal tufts and a r ingedtai l l t is only about 22 cm long, and is found in the AmazonBas i n .

THE OtD WOBTD MONKEYSThe 0ld World monkeys, that is, the monkeys found in countr ies otherthan North and South America, have narrowly spaced nostr i ls that facedownwards. They have cheek pouches and characterist ic patches of hard,bare skin around their buttocks. Their tai ls are not prehensi le. as are thoseof most New World monkeys. Their arms and legs are ab0ut equal in length,and their hands are very agi le. Some 0ld World monkeys l ive on the ground,while others l ive in trees. Some eat only fruits and vegetables, but otherssupplement their diet with insects.

The proboscis monkey is found near rivers in the junglesof Borneo. The male has an extremely large, overhangingnose. The species varies in size from 60 t0 75 cm.

The mandr i l l is found in thejungles of western Afr ica. Themale, which has a red nose,blue cheeks, and red and bluebuttocks, is a colourful, ferociousanimal , about 1.2 m long. Thefemale is smal ler , and lacksthe br ight colours of the male.

The hamadryas baboon is an ash-grey,powerfu l ly-bui l t animal , wi th a largemane and a f lesh-coloured face. l t haslarge canine teeth, and l ives mainlyon the ground al though i t is able tocl imb. l t is about 68 cm long, and isfound in Ethiopia and on the is lands inthe Arabian Gulf. lt was sacred to theancient Egyptians

THE ANTHROPOID APESThe anthropoid, or great, apes share certain characterist ics with man.The word 'an throp0 id '

means 'man- l i ke ' and, l i ke man, these an imals

can s tand upr igh t on the i r h ind legs and wa lk . The i r a rms are longer thanthe i r legs , and the i r hands are very ag i le . They have no cheek pouches orta i l . The i r b ra ins a re be t te r deve loped than monkeys ' .

The s iamang, the largest of the gibbons,measures about 60 cm lt has a dilatable(expandable) voice-box that enables i tto make a very loud, booming howl.I t l ives in t rees in the m0untain forestsof Sumatra and Malavsia.

The gibbon, the smal lest of thegreat apes, ranges in size from 38to 75 cm. lt is a slender, acrobaticanimal, with arms that are muchlonger than i ts legs l t is found inthe jungles of south-eastern Asia.

78

The ch impanzee i s a h i gh l y i n t e l l i gen t ape . wh i chof ten performs in c i rcus acts The best user oflools af ter man, i t wie lds st icks an0 srones asweapons and t00ls. l t is about 1 6 m ta l l . and isfound in the t ropical forests of western Afr ica

The orang-utan, whose name means' j u n g l e

m a n ' , i s a r e d d i s h - b r o w n ,heav i l y -bu i l l ape , measu r i ng abou t 1 4 mWhen young, i t looks remarkably human.b ' r t as i l grows older, i t developsa high forehead. large nostr i ls , and agoi t re- l ike swel l ing on i ts neck l t isfound in the jungles of Sumatra andBorneo.

The gor i l la , the largest of the great apes. isabout 1.8 m ta l l , and weighs as much as 204 kg.Al though i t looks mean, i t is actual ly verygent le The species has two var iet ies - theg rey moun ta i n go r i l l a and t he b l ack l ow landgor i l la Both are found in centra l and westernAfr i ca

An orang-utan and i ts young

79

E D ENTATES

The giant ant-earer has a tai l rhat is equal in length to i ts 1.2 m-long b0dy. 11 uses i ts

strorig, clawed feet t0 raid ants' nests, and its 30 cm-long tongue t0 catch ants and terniites.

It cariies its young on its back until they are ab'ut a year old. lt is found in the forested

regions of tropical America.

.Ant-eaters, sloths, and armadil los represent the order Edentata' -The

term 'edentates' means

' toothless 0nes', although the ant-eater is the

only animal in the order without teeth. .The teeth of the oiher edentates.

however, are less developed and contain no enamel - Edentates have

c laws f0 r d igg ing or c l imb ing . .Some l i ve on the ground, some in bur rows '

and some in trees. . Most are found in Central and South America'

The lesser ant-eater, about 56 cmlong, is hal f the s ize of the giant

ant-eater . l t has a smal ler muzzle,shorter fur , and a long, Prehensi letail. lt is found in Central andSouth America.

SKUTL OF THE GIANT ANT.EATER

sloth.

The skul l of the giant ant-eater has only a smal l cranium for the brain '

The upper and lower iaws are both toothless.

The tongue 0f the giant ant-eater is attached to long, powerful muscles

that ext ind into the animal 's r ib cage. l t is these muscles that f l ip the

tongue 0ut and pul l i t back into the mouth

The l i t t le , 0r two-t0ed, ant-eater is about 38 cm

long. wi th a very short muzzle and a prehensi le

tail. lt uses the lwo large, clawed toes on each

f00t t0 climb and dig. lt is found in the warmest

regions of Brazi l , Guyana, and Venezuela.

The two-toed tree-sloth, found only in Brazil'

gets its name from the two long-clawed toes

on each forefoot. This sloth is about 62 cm long,

and can move faster than the three-toed tree-

The three-toed t ree-s loth, a s low-

moving animal about 50 cm long,

can inflict a nasty wound with its

c laws when angered. l t l ives in

trees in the tropical fffests 0f Central

and South America.

TONGUE OF THE GIANI ANT-EATEB

A R M A D I [ [ O S"Armad i l los have a pro tec t ive cover ing o f horny p la tes on theback and s ides o f the body . - Th is a rmour i s d iv ided bv t ransversebands o f so f te r sk in tha t enab le the an imal to ro l l in to a ba l lwhen d is tu rbed. -Armad i l los a re ident i f ied bv the number o fmovab le bands across the i r backs . " Un l ike an t -ea ters , a rma-d i l los have many tee th . "They feed on insec ts and p lan ts ,and are exper t a t d igg ing .

The s ix-banded armadi l lo. about45 cm long, has a broad head, smal lears, and a short ta i l . l t is found inParaguay and Argent ina.

The three-banded armadillo is about 38 cmlong. l t is the only armadi l lo capable of ro l l ingitself into a perfect ball when attacked lt isfound in the warmest regions of Brazil and

The nine-banded armadil lo isabout 60 cm in length, with atapering snout and long earsl ike a donkey's. l t roams atnight, Iooking for insects in thedry grasslands and semi-desertsof the region, including Argentinaand the south-western United

PAN G O LINS -Pango l ins 0 r sca ly an t -ea ters represent the order Pho l ido ta . -They

are toothless. -They are covered on the back and sides with horny, over-lapp ing sca les . -The sca les are ac tua l l y h igh ly mod i f ied ha i r , made o fkentin, lhat is, the same material as the hair. nai ls, and horns of othermammals . .Ord inary ha i r g rows be tween these sca les and on the lowersurface of the body. -The pangolin is able to rol l into a bal l t0 protecti tself when alarmed or attacked.

The Chinese pangolin, about 48 cm long, is seen here with its young. lt uses its tail inc l imbing. l t is found in Asia f rom Nepal to China and Taiwan.

The scales of the pangolinoverlap, with short, tough hairgrowing between them.

The long-tailed pangolin measures 90 cmfrom head to tail. lt uses its strong,prehensi le ta i l in c l imbing t rees to lookfor tree-ants. lt is found in the trooicalforests of Africa.

8 1

The giant pangolin has an overall length of 1.4 m. lt isnocturnal, and lives 0n the ground in open country inAfrica.

Like the three-banded armadi l lo,the pangol in can ro l l i tsel f in toa ball for Drotection.

RABBITS, HARES,AND PIKAS

g

*Rabb i ts , hares . and p ikas are members o f the order Lagomorp l "a .*They are dif ferent lrom rodents (mice and squirrels) in that they har:

two pairs of incisors (front, cutt ing teeth) on the upper jaw. *0ne l '

the pairs is vestigial (of no use), and lies behind the functional lusetuone. *The inc isors g row cont inua l l y . rep lac ing worn away cu t t F ;

edges. "The tee th have enamel on a l l s ides , un l i ke those o f rode:=which have enamel onlV on the outside surface of the incisorr*Babbits, hares,and pikas feed on vegetable matter only. *Pikas ar ' :

ta i l less , bu t rabb i ts and hares have shor t o r bobta i l s . *Rabb i ts , un l i r *hares, are gregarious (social), and l ive in colonies in complicatrecsys tems o f bur rows. *Hares l i ve in ho l lows in the ground.

Some rabbits and hares can camouflage (disguise) themselves to bleqlwith their surroundings and escape the watchful eyes of their predatorr.

Such as wo lves and foxes . But un l i ke chameleons and some f i sh , wh ic 'can change the i r co lours as qu ick ly as they can move, rabb i ts an ihares change on ly seasona l ly , accord ing to the t ime o f the year - ! -

winter, their fur is as white as the snow-covered landscape they l i re

in. ln summer, i t is brown l ike the trunks of trees and earth.

Brown summer coat . White winter coat

$+

,"#

A blue hare

Hares have longer h indlegs than rabbi ts. They usual lyhave longer ears too.

Unl ike baby rabbi ts, which are born help less, naked,and bl ind, baby hares are act ive wi th in minutes of theirb i r th. They are born wi th their eyes open and wi th a fu l lcoat o l hair .

A new-born hare A new-born rabbit

Hares have wider palates on the upper jaws than rabbi ts.

T}IE HARE IN MOTION

?

Footpr ints made when bounding.

The upper jaw of a hare The upper jaw of a nhbil

) 5

-t

a?

A domest ic rabbi t . A brown hare leaping

The angora rabbi t weighs about2 5 kg. l t is reared for i ts s i lky fur .

The castor rex is reared in largenumbers for i ts fur l t weighsb e t w e e n 2 6 a n d 3 5 k g

The Himalayan rabbi t rs whi te, excepl for i tsblack snout, ears, feet . and ta i l l t is found inthe Himalayan mountains (northern India, Nepal ,and Tibet) , and is kept as a pet there. l t weighsabout 1 5 kg.

The blue hare is foundin the grassy meadowsof Europe and Asia Inwinter , i ts fur turns aswhi te as snow. l t isabout 50 cm in length.

The Belgian hare growsand breeds very fast .I t is reared for food.I t weighs about 3.5 kg.

The pika, about 15 cm long, looks l ike a smal l . ta i l lessrabbi t wi th short ears. l ts four legs are al l the samelength. Somet imes known as the whist l ing hare, i t canvary i ts voice f rom a shrr l l whist le to a b leat l t is foundin the high mountains of centra l Asia and North America

The alb ino domest ic rabbi t isreared for its fur and meat, forscient i f ic exper iments, and as apet animal . When fu l ly grown,

this rabbit weighs between 2 6and 5 7 kg.

The cot tontai l rabbi t gets i tsname from i ts whi te, f luf ly ta i l ,which resembles a bal l ofcot ton l t is about 32 cm long.and is found in North AmericaI ts fur is used for making fe l thats.

"trt-*

; " b#

*

The brown hare. about60 cm in length, haslong, b lack-t ipped ears.I t feeds on grass andl e a f y p l a n t s i n t h emeadows of Europe andAsi a

83

RO DENTS(GNAWTNG MAMMATS)

A squirre l .

A squ ine l ' s sku l l

A f ie ld vole.

JAW MUSCLES OF RODENTS

The jaw musc les 0 f rodents a re spec ia l i zed

for gnawing. In typ ica l mammals thepowerful nasseter ( jaw muscle) has i ts

or ig in on the cheek-bone o f the sku l l

and extends to the lower iaw. During

the evolut ion of rodents, however, the

masseter has also extended up to the

sn0uLIn squ i r re ls , th is jaw musc le ex tends

to the snout in front of the cheek-bone(as shown in bluel.

In porcupines, the masseter extendsthrough the eye-socket 0nto the snout(as shown in redl.

In mice, the masseter has both extensionsto the snout - one in front of the cheek-

bone and the other through the eye-socket,

WHERE THE MEADOW VOIE T IVESThe meadow vo le makes a maze o f tunne ls under the ground.

The tunne ls lead o f f to a nes t a rea , a ' to i le t ' , and a food-

storage room.

- Mice, squirrels, and porcupines, among others, are rodents and belong

to the largest ordef of mammals cal led the Rodentia. - Rodents hate

only one pair of incisors (front. cutt ing teeth) in each jaw. -These teetft

have enamel only on the front surface, and the wearing-down of the softer

body of the tooth results in a sharp, chisel- l ike cutt ing edge. -The incisors

are constantly growing at the root and are kept in check by continual usc-- Rodents have no canines (pointed, side teeth). There is a gap between

the incisors and nolars ( large, back teeth). " Most rodents have a large

caecun (parl of the intestine) to help in the digestion ol cellulose (Iourl

in plants). . Bodents are found al l over the world except in Antalct icaand New Zea land.

T H E I N C I S O R S O F R O D E N T SThe upper and lower incisors of rodents are constantly growing.

It is therefore essential that wear should keep pace with growth.

For this reason rodents gnaw at almost anything, even metals,

to ma in ta in the wear on the i r inc isors .l f a lower inc isor b reaks or ge ts ou t o f l ine , the an imal can

no longer gnaw. The animal may starve to death or may die

when the oppos ing upper inc isor cont inues to g row, p ie rc ing

the roof of the skul l .

Upper incisor piercing roof of the skull

A mouse's skul l

The red souirrel has a reddish-brown coat with awhi te bel lv l t has tuf ted ears and is about 45 cmlong including i ts bushy ta i l . The red squinel eatsnuts. berr ies, shoots, and seeds. l t bur ies nuts asa food supply for winter . l t is found in Europe andnorthern Asia.

A porcupine's skul l

lowet ineisol

The beaver is the largest rodent in the Northern Hemisphere.I ts s lout body measures 105 cm including i ts 30-cm long ta i lwhich is f lat . broad, and scaly l ts ta i l is used as a prop on landand a rudder in the water. When in danger, the beaver s lapsits tail 0n the water t0 warn other beavers- lts front toes areadapted to d igging and i ts h ind-feet are webbed for swimming.The beaver is an aquatic animal. lt dams up streams with branches,stones. and mud. lt lives in a lodge (nest made of sticks, twigs,and mud). The lodge has one entrance above the water and onebelow. The beaver feeds mainly on the bark of trees such asthe aspen, willow, and birch. lt lives in North America and partsof Eurooe and Asia.

The meadow vole is about 10 cm long. lt burrows to feed on bulbsand roots. lt is found in North America and Eurasia.

The lemming, only about 15 cm long, lives in northern Europe and coldparts of North America. When the lemming population grows t00 large, itmust g0 in search of new pastures. In the course of their migrations,lemmings might cross ponds. streams, or rivers, as they are able to swimshort distances. However, if they happen to enter the sea 0r large expansesof water. they eventual ly drown l t is of ten thought that lemmingsintend to commit suic ide, when actual ly they are at tempt ing to crossthe sea.

The kangaroo-rat has a fa i r ly large head, smal l forelegs, and long powerfu lh indlegs that enable i t to make lumps of aboul 2 m. l t grows f rom 10 tol8 cm long, and is found in the deserts of the south-western United States.

The musk-rat , about 22 to 36 cm long, is an aquat ic animal that bui ldsi ts nest in marshes and along r ivers. l t or ig inal ly came from North America,but is now found in Eurooe and the Soviet Union

The eastern chipmunk is ahout 17 cm long and has a ta i l of 10 cm l tsback is marked by f ive heavy str ipes which run f rom i ls shoulders tothe root 0f i ls ta i l . l t l ives in hol low logs and in burrows amongbushes and tall grass. lt is found in the eastern United States and northerncentral Asia

FLYING SOUIRREIS-F ly ing squ i r re ls a re noc turna [ . -They are found in As ia , Nor th Amer ica ,and Euras ia . "F ly ing squ i r re ls d0 no t ac tua l l y f l y ; they on ly g l ide . .A

g l id ing membrane wh ich s t re tches be tween the i r fo re and h ind legs ac tsl i ke a w ing . enab l ing them to g l ide f rom t ree to t ree . .Some g ian t f l y ingsqu i r re ls have been observed g l id ing f rom the s lopes o f h i l l s to a d is tanceof about ha l f a k i lomet re .

The scaly- ta i led f ly ingsquirre l has a layer ofscales on the undersideof i ls bushy ta i l . Thescales enable the ta i lto gr ip the bark of t rees.This squirre l l ives inAfrica and grows to aItngth of 28 cm

The meadow vole

The l emming

The musk-rat

The eastern chipmunk.

The giant f ly ing squirre l is a large animal whichgrows from 27 to 49 cm long lt lives in theforests of Asia.

B5

The 0ld World harvest mouse is about 6 3 cm long. exclud-ing i ts prehensi le ta i l which is about the same length asi ts body. This mouse is act ive by day and night , c l imbinggrass and cornstalks. l t feeds 0n seeds. grain, andinsects. l t is common in Europe, northern Asia, and China

The wood mouse, 0r long-ta i led f ie ldmouse, is about I 8cm longwithatai l of equal length. l t feedson nuts, acorns,benies, and food crops l t is f0und in woodlands, gardens.and cul t ivated f ie lds in Europe, northern Afr ica, and Asia

There are many k inds of guinea-pigs, which or ig inal lycame from Peru They are about 25 cm long andhave such short ta i ls that they appear ta i l less. Somehave long fur, and others have short or even curly fur,which is usual ly yel low, whi te, or b lack, 0r a combinat ionof two of these.

The house, or common, rat, is from 15 to 24 cm long.It is found in gutters and in houses almost all over theworld.

The house mouse is grey in colour and is from 7 to 10 cmlong. l t is found in houses and storehouses, and alsoin f ields and w0ods al l over the world.

The house mouse

The giant rat

The Amami spiny rat .

The albino mouse.

The wood mouse

The guinea-pig.

The house rat-

The Patagonian hare lives in the grasslands of SouthAmerica. l t is hare- l ike wi th long hindlegs, and is veryswift. lt grows to about 80 cm in length.

The giant rat is about 45 cm long. lt has short, thin furand a long, naked ta i l . l t is a nocturnal rodent f0und incultivated areas of central Africa.

The Amami spiny rat is found only on Japan's Amami andOkinawa is lands. l t is 12 to 18 cm long and has smal lspines on i ts body.

The alb ino mouse, about 10 cm long, was specia l ly bredIor laboratory exper iments. l ts fur is a l l whi te, i ts eyesare red, and i ts ears; feet , and ta i l are pink. l ts ancestorwas the house mouse

The alb ino rat l00ks iust l ike the alb ino mouse but i t islarger l t was specia l ly bred by scient is ts for exper imentsI ts ancestor was the common rat

The golden hamster. f rom 12 1o 16 cm long, or ig inal lycame from Syr ia. Hamsters are now found al l over thew0r ld as pets and laboratory animals.

The 0ld World harvest mouse

The golden hamster

86

The alb ino rat

The common porcupine

The common porcupine l ives in Europe, Afr ica, and Asia.Its body. from 60 to 80 cm long, is covered with bristlesand qui l ls The long qui l ls down i ts back are bandedblack and whi te The porcupine defends i tsel f by erect ingi ts qui l ls and rushing backwards at i ts enemy Theporcupine is nocturnal (active during the night). lt feedson roots and f ru i ts .

The Canadian porcupine l ives in the woods of NorthAmerica and can c l imb t rees very wel l l t grows t0 alength of 63 to 85 cm. l t has long, brownish-black furas wel l as long, yel lowish-whi te, barbed spines.

The Malayan brush{ai led porcupine is found in south-eastern Asia. l t is about 60 cm long and has st i f f spinesthat are longer towards the back. I ts ta i l is about 30 cmlong, naked and scaly except at the t ip, which is a brushof soines.

The Brazi l ian t ree-porcupine l ives in Sol th Americaand Mexico and is about 60 cm long. l t has short spines

and a long prehensi le ta i l which i t uses when c l imbingIrees.

The Canadian porcupine

The Malayan brush-ta i led porcupine.

South American capybara.

The coypu, or nutria, is an aquatic animal found in tem-perate South America. lt was brought to Europe and theljnited States for its fur. lt is about 60 cm long, stout-bodied, and has webbed hind-feet , and a long, scaly ta i l .

The South American capybara is the largest memberof the rodent fami ly l t is about 1 2 m long and 53 cm ta l lI t l ives by r ivers, marshes, and lakes and is a goodswrmmer.

The chinchi l la or ig inal ly came from the Andes of Peruin South America but i t is now raised on farms, or chinchi l laranches. for i ts fur which is s i lvery-grey, sof t . and s i lky.I t has more hairs per square cent imetre than any otheranimal . l t is f rom 24 to 28 cm long.

The agout i of South America has long legs and can jumpvery wel l . l t is f rom 40 to 50 cm long, wi th a stout bodyand a short ta i l l t l ives in South America. Mexico. andCentral America.

The Egypt ian jerboa l ives in the sandy, semi-desertareas of Asia and northern Alr ica l t is f rom 20 to 30 cmlong, wi th h indlegs that are very long and powerfu l and atai l which is longer than i ts body l t is an excel lent jumperand is able to live for long periods without water.

The chinchi l la .

The Egypt ian jerboa.

87

WHALES, DO LPHINS,AND PORPOISES

Risso's dolphins.

BALEEN WHATESThe baleen whales are very large and have baleen instead of teeth 0n theirupper jaws. The baleen consists of closely packed strainers 0r plates of keratinthat grow in tr iangular sheets from the sides of the palate. l t is used to strainout or separate food, such as krl /(shrimp-l ike animals) and other small marinecreatures, from the water that the whales take into their mouths.

TOOTHED WHATESThe too thed wha les are genera l l y much smal le r than the ba leen wha les , andhave a varying number of cone-shaped teeth in their jaws. The sperm-whalehas about 40 teeth in the lower iaw. The narwhal has onlv two teeth, bothin the upper jaw.

THE SPOUTS OF OIFFEBENT WHATESWhales breathe through blow-holes, which lead direct ly to their lungs. Beforethey submerge, they take in large lungfuls of air so that they need not surfacetoo often. When they surface, they blow out the warm, m0ist air in their lungsin strong jets. The jets of air are immediately condensed by cooler air overthe ocean to form spouts.

- Wha les , do lph ins , and porp0 ises are mammals o f the order Cetacea."L ike f i sh , they are su i ted to l i fe in the water . .They have no ex terna lears or nostr i ls. - Their necks are so short that their heads seem continuouswi th the i r bod ies . g iv ing them a sp ind le - l i ke appearance. -The i r s l ream-l ined bod ies , wh ich are ha i r less except fo r a few wh iskers on the muzz le ,enable them to move swift ly in the water. . Cetaceans have no hind l imbs,but their forel imbs, ot f l ipperc, are well developed. -They have long tai ls,which end in two horizontal f inl ike project ions cal led f lukes. - Cetaceansbreathe air through an opening, cal led a blow-hole, on the top of the head.. They can remain under water for dif ferent lengths of t ine; but they haveto surface to breathe. -They have a thick layer of fat, or bluhber, undertheir skin to keep them warm. . Cetaceans bear their young at sea andsuck le them on mi lk as o ther mammals do .

The baleen whale has sheets 0f baleen growingdownwards f rom the upper jaw.

Upper iaw

A common dolphin

Stra iners (closely pae ked

The type of teeth a whale has al lows i t to eat only certain kinds of food. l tis interesting to note that the largest whales eat the smallest kinds of food.

Squid. Fish Porpoise.

Sperm-whale. Squid. Octopus

The r ight-whale is a baleen whale that feeds mainly onkr i l l . l t is between 12 and 17 m long, ant i is found inthe Arbt ic and northern At lant ic and Paci f ic 0ceans.

The sperm-whale is a toothed whale that feeds on squidand cuttlefish- lt has no dorsal (backl {in, and its largehead makes up more than one-third 0f its total length of15 to 20 m. h is lound in most oceans.

i

The sulphur-bot tom, or b lue whale, is a baleen whalethat feeds mainly on kr i l l The largest of whales, i tmeasures,between 24 and 30 m, and is dark s late-bluein colour. l t is found in a l l oceans.

The hump-backed whale, measur ing between 10 and 17 m, +has f l ippers that are more than 4 m long. l t feeds onvery small fish, and is found in coastal waters all overthe wor ld.

The narwhal measures about 4.8 m, and is grey-whi tein colour, with dark spots 0n the back. The male hasa spira l tusk, about 2.4 m long. This tusk is actual lyan oversized tooth that protrudes from the mouth. I

I

The Baird's beaked whale measures between 9 and 11 m,and feeds on squid and f ish. l t can be found in al l oceans,but is rarely seen.

The common dolphin has a beaked head and grey, yel low,and whi te bands on the s ides of i ts body. l t is about2 m long, and is found in temperate and warm seas.I t feeds mainly on f ish such as hening.

II

The common porpoise has spade-l ike teeth and a dorsalf in just behind the middle of i ts body. l t measures about1.8 m. and leeds mainlv on f ish and cutt lef ish

CO.OPERATION AMONG WHATES AND DOIPHINSWhales and dolphins ate grcgai l lus mammals, that is, they l ive and travelin g roups tha t may be as la rge as severa l hundred. Th is k ind 0 f communi tyl i v ing prov ides them common pro tec t ion and sa fe ty When n igh t fa l l s and they

take their rest, the y0ung are placed in the centre of the group t0 protect themfrom predators such as sharks. The older members remain alert for danger.Should any threaten, they sound the alarm and take posit ions to defend theherd In many cases, adult whales and dolphins have been known to attackand k i l l p redators th rea ten ing the herd . They have a lso been known to a idin ju red members by push ing them to the sur face fo r a i r . They do no t leavethe wounded to o redators o r k i l l them as s0me b i rds and ba ts do the i r w0unded.

Whales and do lph ins are no t th rea tened on ly by predators such as sharks .Man is among the i r g rea tes t enemies . Whi le most f i shermen w0u ld n0 t ca tch

or k i l l do lph ins because they be l ieve i t wou ld b r ing bad luck , many do lph ins

end up in f i sh ing ne ts and are drowned. Whales are less fo r tunate .For centur ies they have been hunted fo r the i r b lubber , ba leen, meat , and sub-

s tances such as spermacet i and ambergr is , wh ich are used in expens ive per fumes.

As a resu l t , cer ta in spec ies o f wha le a re n0w very ra re and in danger o f becomingextinct. To protect these mammals, laws have been passed regarding whaling,

and many governments are enforcing the laws str ict ly.

89

CARNIVO RES(M EAT-EAT|N GMAMMATS)

An Alaskan wol f .

BETRACTITE CLAW OF A CAT

. Bears , dogs , ca ts , sea ls , and wa l ruses be long to the order Carn ivora ,and are known as carn ivores . -A l though the te rm 'carn iv0res ' means'meat-eaters' ,

some carnivores are onnivorous, that is, they eat plantsas we l l . .Carn ivores are d iv ided in to two gr0ups : 0ne inc lud ing f ree-toed an imals such as bears , dogs , and ca ts ; the o ther inc lud ing f in - foo tedan imals such as sea ls , sea- l ions , and wa l ruses . * Carn ivores have a t leas tfour c lawed toes on each foo t . .The c laws o f some carn ivores such ascats, are rctnct i le, that is, they can be withdrawn by special muscleswhen no t in use . . Carn ivores , be ing hunters , have keen senses o f s igh t ,smel l , and hear ing .

Carnivores, being meat-eaters, have powerful jaws and strong, sharp teethto tear f lesh . They have s ix upper and lower inc isors , wh ich are f lankedby long canines cal led fangs. In addit ion, most carnivores have two cheekteeth on both jaws. These teeth are large, and have sharp, cutt ing edges.They are known as carnassials or flesh teeth.

Carnivores hunt singly or in groups of various sizes. Wolves hunt in packs(groups). They surround their prey before they close in to attack. The bigca ts hunt a lone or in pa i rs Leopards and t igers hunt s ing ly They t rack the i rp rey s tea l th i l y be fore they pounce. L ions somet imes hunt in g roups . 0newil l growl loudly to scare the prey while the others wait for the fr ightenedan imal to run c lose to them. Then thev rush in to make the k i l l .

The c law when i t is retracled orpu l l ed i n .

TEETH OF A CARNIVOBE

The canine and f lesh teeth on the upperand lower jaws are large, st rong, andsharp. They work together l ike scissorsto cut meat into p ieces,

The c law when i t is extendeo or0ushed 0ut .

DIFFERENT CARNIVORES USE THEIB FEET DIFFEBENTTY

A common fox

Cats and dogs walk

90

0n their tses.

The common wolf hunts in big packs for caribou, musk-oxen, and deer. lt is found in open country and f0rests 0fNorth America, Europe, and Asia. The male, about 1 3 mlong, is larger than the female.

The coyote hunts singly or in pairs for small animals l ikerabbits. l t measures about 95 cm, and is found 0nthe olains of North America and Mexico.

The jackal feeds on any small animal i t can overpowerand on the left-overs of animals killed by lions and tigersIt is {ound mainly in Afr ica and Asia, and measuresbetween 50 and 80 cm

The fox is found in the woodlands of Asia, Europe, northernAfrica, and North America. lt is about 68 cm long and30 cm tall. Foxes vary in colourfrom redto grey and black'Arctic foxes become white in winter.

The raccoon-dog resembles a raccoon in having ddrkpatches round its eyes. lt is between 50 and 68 cm long.It eats f lesh and plants, and l ives in mountains in summerbut hibernates in val leys in winter. l t is found in Japan,Korea. and China

IHE DOG TAMITY-Wolves, foxes, dogs, and laccoon-dogs belong to the family Canidae or lhe

dog family. -They have narrow bodies, pointed ears, and' usually, elongated

muzzles. . Their l imbs are usually long and thin, with four or f ive toes on each

front paw and four toes on each rear paw' - Most of them live on the ground' and

cannot climb trees as cats can. -All of them are good runners, and have a

keen sense of smel l .

German shepherd,

Poodle Chihuahua.Spitz.

Pomeranian.

91

BEABS* Bears are members of the family Ursidae. - They have powerful ly bui l tbod ies , shor t ta i l s , and s t rong, th ick l imbs. "The i r fee t a re b road and f la t ,with f ive clawed toes on each foot. - Bears walk with their feet f lat onthe ground. " They have poor eyesight, but keen senses of smell and hearing."They are omnivorous , ea t ing ber r ies and o ther w i ld f ru i ts , smal l an ima ls ,f i sh . and honey, - Most o f them h ibernate in w in te r .

The brown bear belongs to a species that var ies incolour f rom whi te t0 b lask. l t measures about 2 nand is found widely in the Northern Hemisphere. Al thoughit looks clumsy, it can move very swiftly. lt also swirsand c l imbs wel l

The Malayan sun-bear is found in the jungles of soudt-eastern Asia. lt measures about 1 3 m, and is veryfond of honey and syrup.

The spectacled bear, measur ing about 1.5 m, is the onlybear found in South America l t is found in the Andesmountains f rom Venezuela to Chi le.

The s loth-bear has shaggy hair that is especia l ly lotqat the neck. l t measures about 1.7 m, and is found inthe forests of India and Sri Lanka. lt feeds on ans.termites. fruits. and leaves. lt does n0t hibernae.

The polar bear, white in colour, is found in the Arcticregions. l t is a strong swimmer, about 2.7 m in lengrh.I t feeds mainlv on seals. and does not h ibernate.

The polar bear.

The Malavan sun-bear

The giant panda

RACCOONS AND PANDAS" Raccoons and pandas belong to the family Procyonidae. " Like bears,they have f i ve toes on each foo t , and they wa lk w i th the i r fee t f la t on theground. . Un l i ke bears , they have long r inged ta i l s . except fo r the g ian tpanda. .The i r tee th a re smal le r than those o f o ther carn ivores , and no tas sharp . "They are omnivorous , feed ing on a g rea t var ie ty o f p lan t andan imal l i fe in the i r sur round ings . "They are a lso good t ree-c l imbers .

The giant panda is found in the bamboo lungles of south-western China, between 1 800 and 4 000 m above sea- level .I t feeds mainly 0n young bamboo shoots, but eats smal lanimals and bi rds as wel l . l t is about 1.8 m long.

The whi te-nosed coat i has an elongated snout and aslender ta i l , which i t uses as a balancer whi le c l imbing.I t measures between 43 and 66 cm, and is found inforests f rom Mexico to Peru. l t feeds on vegetables,fruits, insects, worms, and birds lt bel0ngs to thefanilv Ursidae.

The raccoon, measuring between 41 and 55 cm, is aski l fu l c l imber and swimmer. l t feeds on aquat ic animals,such as f rogs, f ish, and crayf ish, which i t

'washes' ,before

eat ing, l t is found near streams and ponds in the woodsof Nofth and Central America.

The brown bear

The soectacled bear

The s loth-bear.

92

The weasel measures about 30 cm. l t k i l ls smal l rodents and bi rds {or{ood. l t is found in North America, Europe, and Asia.

WEASETS AND THEIR RETATIVES" Weasels, otters, skunks, and badgers belong to the family Mustel idae. - Mosto f the an imals in th is fami ly have e longated bod ies . shor t legs , and long ta i l s ." They have at least four toes on each foot. . Some of them walk f lat on theirfeet, while others use only the front halves of their paws. . Some, l ike theermine, change the colour of their fur from white in winter to brown in summer.- Most l ive on land, while some, l ike the otter, spend most of their t ime in thewater . .The an imals have a scent -g land near the ta i l wh ich produces a fou lodour . -Th is odour he lps to p ro tec t them f rom the i r enemies .

The ratel , about 72 cml o n g , i s a f e a r l e s sanimal . l t is found inAfr ica, Arabia. and India

The badger l ives in burrows rnthe wooded areas of America,Europe, and easlern Asia. lt isbetween 45 and 100 cm long,and feeds on insects, worms,smal l animals, and f ru i ts .

The giant sea-ot ter is an aquat icanimal found along the Paci f ic coastof North America. 11 has broad.f l ipper- l ike hind{eet . and measuresabout a metre. l t feeds mainlvon shel l f ish and sea-urchins.

The ermine changes i t s co lour f rom seasont0 season. l t does this when the amountand strength of sunl ight changes. Thesevariat ions affect the ermine's pituitaryg land, wh ich produces a horm0ne cont ro l -l ing the th ickness and co lour 0 f i t s fu r .When the ermine changes i ts coat, a patch

of newly coloured fur f i rst appears 0n i tsback . Then the pa tch grows b igger andspreads over the entire body.

The marten, about 47 cm inlength, preys on smal ler animalsand bi rds l t is found in thewoods of North America, Europe,and Japan.

The skunk deiends i tsel f by e ject inga foul-smel l ing f lu id produced bytwo glands near i ts ta i l . l t measuresabout 40 cm, and is found in thewoods and pla ins of North America.

The common otter, mea-suring between 64 and82 cm, has short legs,webbed feet , and a long,th ick ta i l . l t Jeeds ona q u a t i c a n i m a l s a n dplants in r ivers in Asia,Europe, northern Africa,and North America.

The ermine changes the colour of i tsfur from white to reddish brown rnsummer. l t measures between 20 and33 cm and is found in Asia, Europe, andNorth America.

The wolver ine is found in the forestsof northern Asia and America. l t isa ferocious animal wi th an enormousappet i te. l t measures between 65and 90 cm

93

CIVETS AND MONGOOSES" Civets and mongooses belong to the family Vivirr idae. - They have somefeatures in common with cats. . Some of them have part ly retract i le claws."Un l ike ca ts , however , they have shor te r legs and longer muzz les . .They

also have scent-glands which produce a substance used in perfumes.

The spotted hyena is found 0n the plains of southernand eastern Afr ica. l t measures about 1.5 m, and feedson l ions' ki l ls and domestic animals

The l ingsang is found in southern China, Nepal , andBorneo. l t is about 39 cm long, wi th a ta i l of about thesame length. lts claws are retractile

The str iped hyena is about 1.3 m long. l t is found innorth-eastern Africa, Arabia, and India. lt feeds mainlvon carion (bodies of dead animals).

HYENAS-Hyenas are members of the family Hyaenidae. -They are often cal ledlaugh ing hyenas because they make no ises tha t resemble cack les , c r ies ,and laughs . -They have long, th ick necks w i th coarse manes. *The i r

bod ies s lope because the fo re legs are longer than the h ind legs . -They

have four toes on each foot. . Hyenas are carnivorous. . They have thes t ronges t jaws o f a l l an ima ls , and are ab le to chew bones as we l l as meat .

The binturong has a long, prehensi le ta i l . The animalmeasures between 60 and 95 cm. and is found in thelungles of south-eastern Asia, f rom Assam to Borneo.I t feeds on f ru i ts , vegetables, and smal l animals.

The smal l Indian c ivet is found in southern China. Burma.India, Sumatra, and Java. l t is between 45 and 65 cmlong l ts scent-g lands produce musk.

The mongoose is found in wooded areas of Arabia, India,Sr i Lanka, and Nepal . l t is an extremely agi le animal ,about 41 cm long. l t feeds on rats, mice, snakes, andother smal l animals. l t makes a g00d pet

The whi te-nosed, or gem-faced, c ivet is about 51 cm longI t is Jound in south-eastern Asia

The Persian is a large domest ic cat . l t has long. sof tfur

The Abvssin ian is bel ieved to be an ancestor 0f domest iccats. hs face and ears are longer than those of thecommon cal. lt was sacred t0 the ancient Egyptians.

The short-haired cat has short fur , which var ies in colourand design. l f i t is st r iped, the str ipes form a spira ldesign when the cat cur ls up.

The Siamese is pale in colour, wi th face, ears, feet ,and ta i l of a darker colour. l t has blue eyes.

WItD-CATS"Wi ld -ca ts were or ig ina l l y found in Amer ica , Europe, and As ia . -Man

domest ica ted them when he found them usefu l in r idd ing h is home 0 f pes ts

such as rats and mice. *There are not as manv kinds of domestic cats asthere are of domestic dogs

THE CAT FAMILY- The ca t fami ly can be d iv ided in to two groups : one inc ludes the smal lcats such as wild-cats, domestic cats, and lynxes; the other includes thelarge cats such as l ions, t igers, and leopards. - Members of the cat familywalk 0n their toes. -Thev have f ive toes on each forefoot and f0ur toeson each h ind- foo t . .The t0es are c lawed and, except fo r those o f cheetahs ,the claws are retract i le. " Members of the cat family have sharp teethfor cutt ing meat. "They use the rough surface of their tongues to cleanthemselves and to l ick bits of meat from bones. - Thev can see remarkablt/we l l in the dark .

The lynx, measuring about a metre, is a medium-sizedcat with tufted ears. broad feet, and a very short tail.I t is found in coni ferous l0rests 0f North America, Europe,and northern Asia

The serval , about 95 cm long. is noted for i ts large earsI t is found on the grassy pla ins of Afr ica.

The l eopa rd -ca t , measu r i ngbetween 40 and 60 cm. is anocturnal animal which s leepsin t ree hol lows dur ing the dayI t is found in southern andeastern Asia, f rom lndia tocoastal China and the Phi l ippines.

The Libyan wi ld-cat resembles the European wi ld-cat inappearance and s ize. l t is thought to be an ancestor ofdomest ic cats. l t is found in Afr ica. Sardin ia. Corsica,Mar jorca, and south-western Asia.

The European wi ld-cat resembles a domest ic cat , butis more heavi ly bui l t l t is about 60 cm l0ng. l t huntshares. grouse, and other smal l animals in rocky andwooded areas oI Eurooe and Asia Minor

The European wi ld-cal

95

The t iger, measuring about 2.8 m, is the largest member0f the cat family. l t is found in lraq, Siberia, Korea,India, and Malaysia.

The ocelot is between68 and 97 cm long. l t isfound in densely woodedareas of- Mexico andSouth America

The ouma, or mountain- l ion, belween one and two metreslong, is a powerfu l animal that can make leaps ol overs ix metres. h is found in the mountains, p la ins, deserts,and forests of North and South America

In captivi ty, a male of one species may mate with a female 0f another

species and produce a hybrid lof lspring of two animals of dif ferent species).

This hvbrid wil l have the characterist ic features of both parents, but i t

may be barren (unable to produce offspring). Different hybrids are given

different names. A leopon (ahovel is the offspring of a male leopard and a

l ioness , wh i le a l ipard is the o f fspr ing o f a ma le l ion and a leopardess

Simi la r ly , the o f fspr ing o f a ma le t iger and a l ioness is ca l led a t igon , bu t

the o f fspr ing o f a ma le l ion and a t ig ress is known as a l iger .

The lion, often called the 'King

of Beasts', is found in.open country in easlern Africa and certain parts of India

between 1.6 and 2.3 m, and l ives in fami lycalled prides. lts cubs are spotted, but the spots

as they grow older

d, measur ing about two metres, is smal ler than

t iger. l t is a good c l imber and swimmer, and is found

in Asia and Afr ica. The species var ies in colour f rom

tawny to b lack Black leopards are of ten cal led panthers.

i

s t

The jaguar is about 1 4 m long. l t cl imbs and swimswell , and is found near r ivers and swamps in densejungles of Central and South America.

The jaguarundi measures between 56 and 76 cm. l t isfound near water in s0uthern Nor lh America, CentralAmerica, and South America. l t feeds on aquat ic animals +

as wel l as smal l land mammals

96

SEATS AND THEIR BETATIVES-Seafs, fur-seals, walruses, and sea-elephanls are carnivores (meat-eaters)be long ing to the group P inn iped ia ( f in - foo ted an imals ) . .They are su i tedt0 an aquat ic l i fe . -They have mod i f ied l imbs ca l led f l ippers , the drg l . f s ( toes)o f wh ich are enc losed in the sk in . -The f i rs t d ig i t on each fo re foo t i s longerthan the o ther d ig i ts , wh i le the second d ig i t on each h ind- foo t i s the longes tand the s t ronges t . * Members o f the group l i ve main ly in the water a l thoughthey breed on land. -They feed on f i sh and c rabs . -The i r g rea tes t enemiesare po la r bears , k i l le r wha les , and man.

The ear l ies t foss i l s o f the mammals o f the gr0upPinn iped ia da te back on ly to the Miocene per iod(25 mi l l ion years ago) , so sc ien t is ts do no t rea l l yknow what the i r d i rec t ances tor was- Thesean imals may be re la ted to wease ls , bu t havebecome more adapted to l iving in water. How-ever, they are not as well adapted t0 aquaticl i fe as wha les and do lph ins are . They s t i l l haveex terna l ears and snouts , and they have no tdeve loped a dorsa l f in o r a hor izon ta l ta i l

The fur-seal is found along the northern coasts of thePaci f ic ( )cean l t has smal l , external ears and a greycape covering a swollen neck. The female, or eow, issmaller than the male. or hull. which measures about2 .2 n .

The r ibbon-seal measuresabout 1 5 m. l t is found onice{ loes in the Ber ing Seaas wel l as polar regions.

+ Sea- l ions.

Stel ler 's sea- l ion feeds on shel l f ish. cut t lef ish. andsmal l l ish. l t is found along the Paci f ic coast of NorthAmerica, f rom Alaska to Cal i fornia. The male, whichis about three metres long, is larger than the female

The Cal i fornian sea- l ion is found along the rocky coasts +of California, in the United States As it is easy t0 tame,i t is p0pular in zoos and c i rcuses. The female is smal lerthan the male, which is about 2.4 m long.

The walrus uses its 60 cm-long tusks to dig up clams,crabs, and sea-urchins f rom the sea-bed. l t is found inlarge herds on beaches and ice- f loes in northern polarregions. The male, measur ing about 3.7 m, is largerthan the female

{

The elephant seal is found on is lands near the SouthPole and along the coast of California. lt is at leasttwice the s ize of other seals- The bul l measures about6 1 m, whi le the cow is about 5.5 m long. The bul l has atrunk- l ike nose. which. when inf lated. measures about60 cm

+

THE AARDVARK-The aardvark i s the .on ly representa t ive o f theorder Tubu l identa . wh ich means an imals w i thtubu la r tee th - l t has a long, nar row head, asnout l i ke a p ig 's , a smal l mouth , and la rge ,erect ears. - l t has four t0es 0n each forefootand f i ve on each h ind- loo t -The toes are c lawedfor ra id ing te rmi tes ' nes ts * The aardvark feeds0n te rmi tes and w i ld cucumbers . - l t uses i t slong tongue t0 sweep food in to i t s m0uth . - l thas no inc isors o r can ines . - l t s tee th cons is to f t inv tubes . and are roo t less .

The aardvark measures between 1 2and 1 5 m l t l ives in burrows on the drvpla ins of Afr ica, f rom Ethiopia to soulhernAfri ca-

THE TEETH OF THE AABDVARK

Top view of the teeth

Side v iew of the leeth

THE HYRAX. Hyraxes , wh ich are a lso ca l led dass ies or con ies ,be long to the order Hyraco idea. - L ike rabb i ts ,they have shor t sn0uts and sp l i t upper l ips ."They are vegetar ian . "They have one pa i r o finc isors on the upper jaw and two pa i rs on thelower law.

-Their feet resemble those of hoofedan imals , such as rh inoceroses . *There are fourtoes on each forefoot and three on each hind-foot.- The toe-na i l s a re f la t . b lun t , and hoof - l i ke , exceptfor that on the third toe, which is sharp andcurved. . Hyraxes walk f lat on their feet.

The rock hyrax is about 45 cm long.I t l ives in large communit ies among therockv c l i f fs and hi l ls of Afr ica.

The bones of ahyrax 's forefoot

The bones of apig 's forefoot .

THE SEA-COW* Sea-cows be long to the order S i ren ia . - Theyare d iv ided in to two fami l ies - the manateeof the At lan t ic ( )cean and Car ibbean Sea andthe dugong 0 f the Ind ian and Pac i f i c 0ceans-They are we l l adapted fo r aquat ic l i fe . -The i r

fo re l imbs have become f l ippers . wh i le the i r h indl imbs have deve loped in to hor izon ta l ta i l s l i kethose of whales * Sea-cows feed on seaweedand o ther aquat ic p lan ts . . They are s low-mov ing ,de fence less an imals . "The i r on ly p ro tec t ion isthe coas ta l waters , wh ich are too sha l low fo r b igpredators such as sharks and ki l ler whales.

The dugong is about 2.7 m in length.I t is Jound in the warm waters of thePaci f ic and Indian (Jceans

The ta i l o l a manatee

A manatee

The ta i l of a dugong

ELEPHANTS

The Afr ican elephant is about 3 2 m high I t has larger ears than the Indian elephantI ts t runk is r inged, wi th two f inger- l ike project ions at the t ip. which are used for gr ippingBoth the bull (male) and the cor (female) have tusks

T E E T H O F T H E E L E P H A N TThe Ind ian e lephant has th ree pa i rs 0 f mo lars dur ing i t s l i fe t ime. These molarsare en0rmous They have hor izon ta l rows 0 f enamel r idges on the i r g r ind ingsur faces . The number 0 f rows 0n each m0lar inc reases as the e lephant g rowso lder The las t pa i r has be tween 18 and 24 o f them

A molar of the Afr ican elephant (afarze). and amolar of the Indian elephant ( /e/ar) , showingthe hor izontal v iew of the gr inding surfaceThe rows of enamel r idges are prominent

. E lephants , the la rges t o f land mammals , be l0ng to the order Probosc idea"They have elongated snouts, cal led trunks, that are extremely sensit ive,p rehens i le , and supp le . - E lephants use the i r t runks t0 touch, smel l , car ryfood and water t0 the i r mouths . and shower themse lves w i th water o Idus t - They can car ry t rees w i th the i r t runks 0r p ick peanuts f rom a person 'shand -The i r la rge ears a re used fo r fann ing o f f f l i es and keep ing coo l ,as we l l as fo r hear ing . - E lephants have enormous m0lars . bu t no can inesor lower inc isors . .The i r upper inc isors p ro t rude f rom the i r mouths t0form lasfs that may be straight 0r curved - Elephants are vegetarians.feed ing on leaves and e lephant g rass .

The I nd ian e l ephan t r s f ound i n l nd i a and sou th -eas le rn As ia l t i s abou t 2 8 m h igh l thas only one project ion at the t ip of i ts t runk, and i ts ears are one-th i rd the s ize 0f theAfr ican elephant 's The cow has shorter tusks than the bul l

The A f r i can , t he I nd ian , and t he round -ea red e l ephan t s a re a l l me rnbe rs o f t hee lephan t f am i l y They a re f ound on l y i n A f r i ca and As ia a l t hough f oss i l s o f

an0 the r t ype o f e l ephan t , t he woo l l y mamm0th , have been d i scove red t h rough -0u t mos t o f t he No r the rn Hemisphe re The woo l l y namm0th l i ved be fo re t heGrea t l ce Age I t was n0 t , h0weve r , t he ea r l i e s t ances t0 r o f p resen t day e l ephan t sTh i s d i s t i nc t i on be longs t o an0 the r an ima l , ca l l ed t he Moe r i t he r i um , wh i ch l i vedin the Eocene Epoch {about 60 mi l l ion years ago) fhe Moer i ther iu l , was 0nlV

abou t 70 cm h igh l t l i ved i n wa te r l i ke t he h i ppopo tamus

The round-eared or forest e lephant is about 2 3 m high. l t is found in the jungles of equator ia l Afr ica

-ffi- ' a ' *

I/,

t l . k

fnamel idges

fnanel ridgesqq

O D D-TO ED,HOO FED*Horses , tap i rs , rh inoceroses , and zebras be long to the orderPer issodac ty ia . *As most o f the an imals in th is o rder have on ly oneor three toes on each foot, they are often cal led odd-toes, hoofedan imals . *The la rge cent re toe suppor ts the we igh t o f the body . *The

an imals have fa i r l y la rge ears and a keen sense o f hear ing . *They

have inc isors and molars on bo th the upper and lower jaws. Theyhave no canines, and their l ips are pl iant (f lexible). "Members of thehorse family are herbivorous. *They do not regurgitafe and chew cudas catt le do. *They have simple stomachs, but they rely on a largecaecum (part of the intest ine) to digest their food.

ANIMATS

Zebras

EVOLUTION OF THE HORSE'S HOOF

0ligocene Miocene- Pleistocene EpochEpoch Pliocene Epoch Modern t imes

Foreleg of the horse

Tooth of the

horse

Tooth of therhinoceros.

COMPARISON OF THREE TYPES

Skul l of the horse

Eoc eneEpoch

Four toes Three toes Three toes ()ne Toe

EVOLUTION OF THE HORSE

lt is bel ieved that the Eohippus ( ' the dawn horse') was theear l ies t ances tor o f the present -day horse . l t l i ved dur ingthe Eocene Epoch (about 60 mi l l ion years ago) in what i snow Amer ica and Europe. l t was a smal l an ima l , about33 cm ta l l a t the shou lder , i ind had four toes on r tsforefeet and three on its hind-feet. After the Eohippuscame the Mesohippus which l ived during the 0l igoceneEpoch (about 35 mil l ion years ago). The Mesohippuss tood about 60 cm ta l l and had th ree toes on each foo t ,the middle toe being the longest. fhe Merychippus, orcudchewing horse , appeared in the Miocene Epoch(about 25 mi l l ion years ago) . l t was 1 . i m ta l l and a lso

had three toes on each foot. The side toes, however,were a lmost use less as the midd le toe had deve lopedin to a s t rong hoof tha t bore most o f the an imal ' s we igh t .

H o r s e - l i k e a n i m a l s c o n t i n u e d t o d e v e l 0 p a n d , b y a b o u ta mi l l ion years ago, the Eguus began to look l i ke thehorse o f modern t imes. The Equus s tood 1 .5 m ta l l anohad become a one- toed, hoofed an imal . The s ide toes hadbecome shor t bones a long the legs , thus leav ing theh0ofed cent re toe to suppor t a l l the an imal ' s we igh t . TheEquus was adapted to l i v ing on the p la ins and graz ing ontough grasses Th is spec ies spread across the s teppes o fAs ia , Europe, and Af r i ca , and f rom i t , the modern horsedeve l oped

O F H O O F

Skul l of the rh inoceros

100Taoir . Rhinoceros. Horse

Grant 's zebra is about 1 2 m ta l l l t is found on thesavannah (pla ins) of s0uthern and eastern Afr ica

Grevy's zebra. about 1 5 m ta l l . is the largest of zebrasI t is found in rocky, grassy areas of Ethiopia, Somal ia,and northern Kenya l t has narrow, c losely spacedstr ipes except a long i ts bel ly .

The donkey is about 1.3 m ta l l . l t is hardy and makes agood pack-animal

Przewalski 's horse is wi ld and found on the pla ins

of Mongol ia. Unl ike other h0rses, i t has no forelock,and i ts mane is erect . l t is about 1 3 m ta l l

Grevy's zebra

The mountain zebra is the smal lest of zebras l t roamsn game reserves in southern Afr ica The str ipes 0nts rump lorm a grid pattern

Tle guagga once l ived on the pla ins of southern Afr icat has been ext inct s ince 1883. l t was about 1.3 m ta l l

The mountain zebra

HOW HORSES DIGEST PLANT FOODHerb ivorous an imals l i ke the horse and the cow, wh ich ea t la rge amounts o fplant food, have special ized digestive systems They are essential for thedigestion of the cel lulose ( insoluble carbohydrate) contained in the plant food.The cow has four stomach parts which help to digest i ts plant food. The horse,however , has on ly 0ne s tomach, bu t i t s la rge caecum he lps i t s d iges t ion . Manhas a smal l caecum which does no t func t ion in the same way as a horse 's .Man is thus unab le to d iges t the ce l lu l0se 0 f p lan ts .

The horse family includes the small early horses, suchasthe Eohippus

of the Eocene Epoch, as we l l as the la rger modern horses , zebras ,

and d0nkeys . The ear ly ances tors had one to four toes 0n the f0re-fee t and one to th ree toes on the h ind- fee t . Modern horses , however ,

have deve loped one s t rong, hoofed toe on each ioo t . They can

move qu ick ly on hard ground. The tee th o f modern horses are

su i ted to ea t ing the coarse grasses o f the p la ins .

t01

The Arabian horse is a strong, straight-backed saddle-horse. l t is about 1.5 m tal l . l t was original ly fromArabia.

The thoroughbred is a racehorse bred from the ArabianIt is about 1.7 m tal l .

The Anglo-Norman is about 1.6 m in height . l t is fdin England, but was originally from Normandy, on thwestern coast of France.

The Shetland pony is a popular children's horse. 0righttfrom the Shetland lslands, near north-eastern Scotld, itis about a metre in height .

The Arabian horse.

The thoroughbred.

The percheron The quarter-horse is used in America for quarter-mileraces, hence the name. l t is a lso used for ranch work asi t is a sure-footed, fast , and hardv animal .

The percheron, about 1.7 m ta l l , is a draught-horse inthe Uni ted States and Argent ina l t came or ig inal lyfrom France.

The hackney is st rdngly bui l t and about 1.6 m ta l l . hor ig inated in England

THE OBIGIN OF DOMESTICATED HOBSESMany types o f domest ica ted horses come f rom Przewalsk i ' s horse . Dogsand sheep were the f i rs t an ima ls to be domest ica ted , a lound 8 ,000 B.C- ,fo l lowed by ca t t le about 6 ,500 B.C. and horses sEmet ime between6,300 and 3 .700 B.C.

HOW HORSES MOVE ABOUTWhen the horse walks, only one foot leaves the ground at a t ime. l f thehorse starts off with i ts r ight forefoot, then the left hind-foot fol lows.The left forefoot then moves forward, and the r ight hind-foot fol lows. Thehorse thus maintains i ts balance. The horse trots in the same way, butas i t moves more quickly two feet on diagonally opposite sides leave theground at a t ime. When the horse gal lops, three or even al l of i ts feet leavethe ground at a t ime. To gal lop, the horse raises each forefoot, then eachh ind- foo t in rap id success ion . The f i rs t h ind- foo t ra ised is a lwavs the onediagonally opposite the [ast forefoot raised.

The hackney

The Brazi l ian tapir is about a metre ta l l and 1 8 m longI t l ives in Central America and the northern nart of SouthAmeri ca.

The Malayan tapir is about a metre ta l l and 2 4 m longI t l ives in the jungles of Thai land. Sumatra, and theMalay Peninsula.

TAPI BS-Tap i rs have th ree hooves 0n the i r h ind- fee t and four hooves on the i r'o re fee t "Tap i rs have very shor t ta i l s , bu t the i r noses and upper l ipsare long and mob i le . -Tap i rs a re herb ivorous , l i v ing in swamps or nearraler

OXE-HORNED RHINOCEBOSES

The great Indian rh inoceros, about 1.7 m ta l l , is the largest rh inoceros found inls ia l ts th ick skin is in fo lds, g iv ing i t an armoured appearance. l t l ives on pla ins,lhere ta l l grasses grow, in Nepal , northern Bengal , and Assam in India.

The Javan rhinoceros.

R H I N O C E R O S E S.Rhinoceroses have three hooves on each foot. -Their tai ls are ofmed ium length w i th tu f ts o f coarse ha i r a t the end. . Rh inoceroseshave huge bod ies , s tubby legs , and very th ick sk in . -They have one0r two tough horns wh ich are ac tua l l y 0u tgrowths o f hardened andcom0ressed ha i rs . - Rh inoceroses are herb ivorous .

T W O . H O B N E D R H I N O C E B O S E STwo-horned rh inoceroses have one horn beh indthe other. The front horn is general ly larger.

The black rh inoceros. about , l .5

m ta l l , l ivesin the th ick bush of centra l . eastern. and s0uthernAfrica. fts pointed upper lip is prehensile lable tograsp food) and is adapted t0 i ls browsing habi tsof eat ing leaves and twigs of bushes. l t is darkgrey in colour.

The whi te rh inoceros, about 2 m ta l l . is thelargest of a l l rh inoceroses l t has a squaremuzzle, Though named the whi te rh inoceros, i tis actual ly s late-grey in colour.

The Javan rhinoceros is about 1.5 m ta l land l ives in the jungles of Java and theHalay Peninsula l ts sk in is in fo ldsand has a scale- l ike pat tern

The Sumatran rh inoceros is a smal lanimal , about 1 2 m in height l t l ives

" Burma, Sumatra, Borneo. Thai land.and the l \ i la lay Peninsula.

The whi te rh inoceros

The Sumatran rh inoceros.

103

EVEN.TOED, HOOFEDANIMALS

SOME TYPES OF HOOF

HORNS OF THE SEROW, CAITLE, GOAI , AND SHEEP

Both male and female goats, sheep, catt le. and mountain sheep have

horns. Their horns are permanent structures and are not shed seasonally

as are the antlers of deer.

ANITERS OF IHE DEER

Usually only male deer have antlers. After the

mat ing season dur ing au tumn, the o ld an t le rs fa l l

o f f . New ones grow dur ing spr ing . The o lder

the deer is, the more branched are i ts antlers.

-Pigs, camels, deer. and catt le belong to the order Art iodactyla' -As

most of the animals in this order have two or four toes on each foot ' they

are often cal led even-toed, hoofed animals. "The third and fourth toes

bear the weight of the body. . Some of these animals are runinants lcud'

chewers) and have a complex digestive system. * More types of hoofed

mammals belong to the order Art iodactyla than to any other. . l t is divided

into three suborders: the f irst includes pigs and hippopotamuses' the

second includes camels, and the third and largest group includes ruminants

l ike deer, anteloPes, and catt le.

Deer.

HOW THE DEER,S A]'IIIERS GROW

The antlers fall of{ln winter.

In late spring, theantler bud is coveredbv skin called velYel

COMPOUND STOMACH OF THE COW

During summer, the During autumn, the In early autumn' the

bud grows and antleri become pointed velvet on the antlers is

begins to branch. and fullv formed. Htffj. "t

against tree-

SIOMACHS OF RUMINATING ANIMATS

Mammals have several types of stomachs. tarnivorous mammals' l ike cats

..U Jogt, have shorter and simpler stomachs than ruminants. The i l lustrat ion

shows the compound stomach of the cow. The stomach is divided into four

0arts.When a cow eats, i t chews the plant food brief ly at f i rst ' then swallows

it hasti ly. The food goes t0 the f irst and largest part of the stomach which

acts as a food storage. Here, the food is softened' The second part of

the stomach contains bacteria which help in breaking down the cel lulose

of the plant food. The food treated by the f irst and second pafts of the

stomach is regurgitated (that is that food is pushed back into the mouth)

The cud is thoroughly chewed, or runinated' and swallowed again' The

ruminated food then passes to the third and fourth parts of the stomach.

The fourth part, which is the true stomach, contains the gastr ic juices to

help digest the food.

Hi ppopotamus.

Cross-section ol

A Jaoanese serow

THE WI ID-BOAR FAMI IY-An imals o f th is fami ly have tusks and rounded muzz les . " fhe tusks(outsized canine teeth) of both the jaws grow upwards. -Wild-boars havefour toes on their forefeet and three or four toes on their hind-feet.

The wi ld-boar l ives in the open woodlands of Europe,central Asia, North America. and northern Africa. h isbetween 91 and 110 cm ta l l

The wart-hog l ives in Ethiopia and in open country f romsouthern Afr ica t0 Senegal l t is between 65 and 85 cm ta l land hastwo pairs of warts 0nthe s ides of i ts lace. l thastusks.a broad muzzle. and, apart from a bristly mane, its body isalmost hair less

DOMESI IC PIGSThe ancestors of domestic pigs are the wild-boars. Both in Asia and Europewild-boars were bred by farmers for food. As early as 4 000 B.C. farmers inMesopotamia (the area between the Tigris and Euphrates r ivers in theMiddle East) started to domesticate the boar. Since wild-boars are vervfast runners and f ierce f ighters when threatened or angered, the farmersbred pigs with shorter legs, no tusks, and bigger bodies. Domestic pigsare ra ised fo r the i r meat .

The red r iver-hog. or bush pig, l ivesin Madagascar and in many parts ofAfrica south of the Sahara region.It has a reddish coat with whitepatches on its face and a whitestripe along its back. lt has tuftedears and is between 55 and 80 cmta l l .

The Berkshire p ig can weigh upto 250 kg. However, to givegood pork (meat), it is allowedto grow to a weight of onlyabout 100 kg.

The babirussa, from 65 to 80 cm tall, is found in the Celebes and theMoluccas lslands. l ts skin is almost hair less and i ts legs are longerthan those of other pigs. lts upper tusks do not protrude from betweenits lips. but project straight up through the upper jaw. The lower tusksproject from the mouth.

The Yorkshire p ig is f rom Yorkshire inEngland. l t weighs between 200 and380 ko- J

The Landrace pig or ig inal ly camef rom Denmark l t we ighsbetween 225 and 320 kg l tsmeat makes good bacon.

The Hampshire p ig comes f romKentucky in the Uni ted Statesand weighs between 200 and300 ks

J05

ITC IT'?O?IITATUS FAMITY'fui inals of this family have four toes on their front and hind-feet. " They have acompficated digestive system and do nol runinate (chew cuds) as the catt lefamily does. * Hippopotamuses are distantiy related to pigs.

IHE MOUSE-DEEB FAMI [Y- Members of the mouse-deer family, which are not true deer, do not have antlers..They are among the smallest ruminants. Their stomachs have three parts.. The males have two long canines which they use as tusKs.

The pygmy hippopotamus is only about 80 cmtall and 1.5 m long lt liyes in the forest streamsof western Africa.

The hippopotamus lives in the rivers, lakes, andbogs ofAfr ica. l t is about 1.5 m tal l and 4.2 mlong and weighs about 3.6 tonnes. lts bodyis hairless and its skin is thick and spongy. ltfeeds mainly on reeds and grasses and spendsmost of its time in the water.

THE CAMET FAMITY'Camels

a re ruminants , bu t , un l i ke typ ica l ruminants , the i r s tomachshave only three parts -The front and hind-feet have two toes each andtough padded soles. * ln this family, only the dromedary and Bactr iancamels have humps, which are made up of fatty t issue. "The l lamas,relat ives of the camels, are humpless, woolly, and have shorter tai ls.

The Indian mouse-deeris only about 30 cm talland lives in the forestsof India and Sri Lanka

The musk-deer is about 60 cm tall and livesin forests in the mountainous parts 0f centraland eastern Asia. The male has an abdominalgland which produces mast (a sweet-smel l ingsubstance).

The water chevrotain isonly from 35 to 40 cmtal l and l ives in thejungles of the Congo.It swims very well.

The dromedary has only one hump l t is about 1 I mtal l and l iveS in northern A{r ica and south-western Asia.I t is used as a nack-animal .

The Bactrian camel is about 2 m tall and has two humos.It lives in the deserts of central Asia. lts long, shaggyhair enables i t t0 wi thstand the cold c l imate

tl

The camel's body is perfect ly adapted for l i fe in the desert. Camels havepadded hooves to e e them t0 walk on hot sand and rocks. Thev havehng eyelashes to keep sand 0ut of their eyes, and nostr i ls that can close easi lyduring a sand-storm. They get nourishment from the reserve of fat in theirlomps and can survive for long periods without water.

rtr

DEERDeer a re even- toed ruminants . Most deer , espec ia l l y themales, have bony antlers which are shed and renewe0throughout l i fe .

The red-deer l ives in the {orests and woodlands ot EuroDe. n0rth-western Afr ica. and Asia. The s lag (male) is about 1 2 m la l l

The moose l ives near lakes in the forests of North America l t isabout 2 m ta l l , and is the largest of the deer l ts ant lers are huge

*The s ika or Japanese deer, f rom 80 to 86 cm ta l l , is foundin Japan and China. The Chinese value i ts anl lers as medic ine,In summer ils coat has white soots which fade awav in winter

Pdre David 's deer was discovered inPeking, China and now l ives in parksthere 11 is about 1 1 m ta l l and looksl ike a donkey wi th long ant lers

The okapi l ives in the jungles ofcentra l Afr ica l t is bui l t l ike agiraf fe but has a shorter neck andlegs. The okapi is about 1.5 m ta l land has whi te bands on i ts legsand th ighs.

II

tThe car ibou and the re indeelare very much al ike. The car ibouis about 1.2 m ta l l and l ives inthe Arctic regions of northernCanada. Both the male andthe female have large ant lers

GI RAFFESThe g i ra f fe , the ta l les t l i v ing an imal , i s aneven- toed ruminant . l t has an e longatedneck wh ich enab les i t to reach budsandtender young leaves o f the acac ia t ree . l thas ne i ther can ine tee th nor inc isors in i t supper jaw. lts ancestor, the Palaeotragus,l i ved f rom the Miocene to the P l ioceneEpoch (about 25 ts 10 nr i l l i on yearsago)a n d l o o k e d v e r y ' i : . ; h l i k e t h e o k a p i o ftoday. The giraffe has two or three shorthorns on i ts forehead which are coveredby sk in and tu f ts o f ha i r .

!r*

1 0 7

IHE CATTIE FAMITY.The catt le family, or Bovidae, includes catt le. sheep, buffaloes, bison.goats, and antelopes. " Usually both the male and the female have horns thatare permanent and cannot be shed. .The horns have a core of bone whichgrows from the skul l . - Members of this family have four toes on each foot.The i r mo lars have r idged sur faces su i tab le fo r g r ind ing p lan t food. -They

are typ ica l ruminants w i th four par ts t0 the i r s tomachs. .Some o f themhave been successful ly domesticated.

The Asiat ic water-buf fa lo is about 1.8 m ta l l . l ts long,flat horns are swept back. lt is used by farmers t0 pl0ughr ice-f ie lds. Wi ld water-buf fa loes are found near swampsand watercourses in India. Indo-China. and Borneo.

The Cape buffalo

The Afr ican or Cape buf fa lo l ives in the long grassesand equator ia l forests of Afr ica, south 0f the SaharaI t isa powerfu l ly bui l tanimal , between 1 5 m and 1.7 m ta l l .Its massive horns nearly meet in the centre of the forehead

The Asiatic water-buffalo,

Ihe yak.

The kudu, about 1.3 m ta l l , has spira l l ing horns and isone of the largest Afr ican antelopes. l t l ives in h i l lycountrv in eastern and southern Africa

The eland is about 1 8 m ta l l and is the largest Afr icanantelope. l t has a loose f lap of sk in hanging f rom i tsneck. l t l ives 0n the ola ins and in the bush of easternand southern Africa.

The yak comes from Tibet and western China and b drfound on plateaus from 4 000 to 5 000 m above sea-hrdI t cannot l ive in the warm lowlands l t is about I 7 .ta l l and has long, th ick hair l t is used as a bea rburden

The American bison comes from the plains of kOAmerica. This animal almost became extinct becacr ihunting by man. Today bisons live in national Fb,and herds are growing large again. They are abor 1 7m tall and their heads and forequarters are massE

The pronghorn

T H E P R O N G H O B N F A M I L Y" The pronghorn is o f ten mis taken fo r an an te lope.- l t i s no t a t rue an te lope and is a fami ly a l l byi tse l f . " Bo th male and female pronghorns

have s imp le b ranched horns . d i f fe ren t f rom thoseof the an te l0pe. -The horns have an ou ter ,horny sheath wh ich is shed and renewed eachyear . "The pr0nghorn can run very fas t - l t

l ives in scrub, desert, grasslands. and rocky areasof the western and mid-western United States

The n i l ga i , o r b l ue bu l l , abou t 1 3 m l a l l , i s t he l a rges tAsiat ic antelope. l t l ives 0n the pla ins of India. l t hassmal l horns l ike those oi cat t le.

The kudu

' f ,gt t ' tno'

The n i l ga i .

1 0 8

The hartebeest.

The long-faced hartebeest is about 1.2 m ta l l and isshy. l t l ives in herds on the Afr ican pla ins

The blackbuck, or Indian antelope, is about 80 cm la l land l ives on the open pla ins o{ India l ts beaut i fu l coatis b lack on too and whi te underneath. l ts horns areringed and twisted in spirals.

The chamois.

The brindled gnu.

The saiga.

The chamois l ives on rocky, mountain s lopes in Europeand Asia Minor l t is about 80 cm ta l l . The male andthe female have curved horns.

The Barbary sheep is the only wild African sheep thatlives on the hills and ranges of northern Africa. lt isabout a metre tall and has long horns.

The br indled gnu. or b lue wl ldebeest , is about 1 3 m ta l land l ives on the Afr ican ola ins l ts head looks l ike abuf fa lo.

The mouf lon is the only wi ld European sheep l t l ives inthe mountains of Europe and on the islands of Corsicaand Sardin ia. l t is about 70 cm ta l l .

The saiga is a stocky animal about 70 cm tall. lt has aswollen muzle and small, erect horns. lt lives on theplains of central Asia and south-eastern Hussia.

The tahr is a goat- l ike animal that l ives on precip icesand steep hi l ls ides in Kashmir and northern India. l tia about a metre ta l l .

The Barbary sheep.

The mouf lon.

The serow, about a metretal l , has short horns andlong ears l ike a donkey.I t is found on c l i f fs h igh inthe mountai f ls of the east-e r n H i m a l a y a s , B u r m asouthwards to Malaysia,China, Taiwan, and Japan.

The blackbuck

. The serow

1 0 9

BBEEDS OF DOMESIIC CATTIE

The Holstein, original ly from Holland, is about 1 5 mtall and is the largest of the dairy cattle.

The short-horn. original ly from England, is about 1.4 mand is raised for its meat.

The brahmin bul l , or iginal ly from India, is about 1.2 mtall. lt withstands heat very well so is raised in the warmerareas of the world.

BREEOS OF SHEEPThe merino weighs up to 120 kg. lt is bred for its finewool.

The coniedale comes from New Zealand and Australiaand weighs up t0 95 kg. lt is reared for its wool and meat,

The Lincoln, originally from England, weighs between100 and 160 kg. lt is a long-wool breed producing thelongest fleece.

Theaed

Short-horn, Brahmin bul l .

The jersey, originally from England, is about 1.3 r 4It is the smallest of the dairy cattle.

The Ankole originally came from Africa. lts horr ra b o u t l 2 m l o n g

The Swiss is about l 4 m tall. lt is bred for dairy purpe

The Hereford. origin_ally from England, is about l2 .tall. lt is a popular breed of beef cattle.

-tailed sheep

The Kashmir is a breed related to the angora. h is fodin Tibel and is about 60 cm in height

The saanen, between 50 and 90 kg in weight, crcfrom Switzerland. lt produces good milk.

The toggenburg. between 45 and 80 kg in weight, crfrom Switzerland. lt is a milking goat.

5The angora comes from the Turkish province of Anka(formerly Angora). lt weighs between 45 and S brThe fibre of the wool is commonlv called mohair.

IN DEX

Aardvark, 98Agouti , 87Alaudidae, SSAlbatrosses, 30

b lack- foo ted ,30Laysan,30Ste l le r ' s ,30wandering, 30

Al l iga tors ,26Miss iss ipp i ,26

Amphib ians .7-14Amphiuma, 8Anglo-Norman, 1 02Anaconda, 22Anh ingas ,3 lAn i , smooth-b i l led ,48Ankole, 1 1 0Anole, green, 20Anseriformes, 34Ant-eaters, 80

sp iny ,66Ante lope, Ind ian .109Antlers, 1 04Apes, 78Apodiformes, 50Apterygiformes, 28Armadil los, SlArtiodactyla, 1 04Auks, 45Avadarat, red, 64

Babblers, 58black-crested,58red-capped,58scimitar, SS

Babirussa, 1 05Baboon, hamadryas, 78Badger, 93Bald-eagle. 39Barbary sheep, 1 09Barbets .52Basil isk, 1 IBats, 73

American leaf-nosed, 74common, 74fruit, 74horseshoe, 74long-legged, 740ld World sheath-tai led, 74tube-nosed, 74

Bears, 92brown, 92polar, 92spectacled,92

Beaver, 85Bee-eater, common, 51Bell-bird, naked-throated, 53Binturong, 94Bi rds .27-64Bison, Amer ican.108Bit lerns,32

Amer ican.32l i t r le .32

Blueb i rd , fa i ry ,58Boas. 22

constr ictor,22emera ld ,22rubber ,22

Boidae, 22Boob ies ,3 lBorzo i ,91Bovidae, 108Boxer, 91Brain, of lemur, 75

of macaque. 75of moles, 75of tree-shrew, 75

Broadb i l l s ,53Budgerigars, 47Buffaloes, 1 08

Asiat ic, 1 08Cape, 1 08

Bu lbu ls , SS

Bul l , b rahmin ,1 l0Bu l l f inch ,64Bu l l f rog

North American, l2South American,12

Bunting. black-headed, 64ind igo ,63meadow, 64painted, 63p i n e , 6 4snow. 63

Bush-baby, 76Bustards, 43

Houbara,43

Caecum, 84, 1 00, 1 01Caecil ians, 9Calotes, 1 5Camel , Bac t r ian ,106Canary, 64Canidae.91Caprimulgiformes, 49Capybara, South American, 87Cardinal, common, 63Caribou, 1 07Carnivores. 90Cassowary. 28Castor rex, 83Casuariformes, 28Cats, 95

Abyss in ian ,95Persian, 95short-haired,95Siamese. 95

C a t t l e , 1 0 8 , 1 l 0Cellulose, 84, 1 01Chameleons ,20Chamois, 1 09Charadri i formes,44Chequered keelback, 23Chevrotain. water, 1 06Chihuahua,9 lChimpanzee, T9Chin .91Chinch i l la .87Chipmunk, Eastern, 85Chloropseidae, 58Ciconiformes,32Cinclidae, S9Civets, 94Coati, white-nosed, 92Cobras. 24

fangs of. 24I n d i a n , 2 4king. 24spitt ing, 24

Cockatoo, 47Cock-of -the-rock, Peruvian.

E 1

Col ies ,50Col i i fo rmes.50C o l l i e . 9 1Columbiformes,46Condor, Andean. 38Coots, 43Coraci i formes, 51Cormorants, 31

great, 31Guanay, 31red- faced,31Temminck 's ,31

Corvidae, S6Cotingas, 53Cotingidae, 53Cottonmouth, 25Couca ls ,43Coyote, 91Coypu, 87Crake, ruddy. 43Cranes, 43

crowned,43demoise l le ,43Siberian white, 43

whooping. 43Crocod i l es ,26Crocod i l i ans ,26Crossb i l l , 64Crows, 56Cuckoos, 48

common, 48emera ld ,43great spotted, 48hawk, 48

Cucul i formes,4SCurassows, 41

Dachshund .9 lDasyure, common, 690 e e r , 1 0 4 , 1 0 7

Pe re Dav id ' s , 107red,

'107

Dermoptera, 72Dippers. 59Dodo, 46Dogs, 91Dolphins, SS-89

c0mmon, 89Risso's,88

Donkey, 1 01Doves, 46Draco. 1 9Dromedary, 1 06Durks, 36-37

go lden -eye ,37ha r l equ in ,3Tmal lard, 36mandar in, 36spo t -b i l l ed ,36tufted, 37

Dugong, 98

Eag les ,39Ech idna ,66Edentates, S0Eg re t s ,32

ca t t l e . 32Eastern gleat whi le, 32l i t t l e , 32

Eider, common, 37Elephants, 99

Afr ican, 99Indian, 99round -ea red ,99

Emu, 28Eland, 1 08Erm ine ,93Eurylainidae.53

Fa l cons ,40pe reg r i ne ,40

Falconel , pygmy. 40Falconi formes,3S-40Finches, 63

sa f f r on ,63woodpecke r , 63

F lam ingos ,33FIycatchers. S4

acad ian ,54Japanese b l ue ,54narcissus, S4

Fowl, Brahma, 42g reen j ung le .42grey jungle, 42long - t a i l ed ,42Plymouth Rock,42

Fox, 91Fr igate-bi rds, 31 'Fingillidae,63Frogmouths. 49

tawny, 49Frogs, 1 0-1 2

arrow-poison, 1 2common wood. 1 1common edible, 1 3Goe ld i ' s , 1 2Gol iath. 1 0

hairy, 1 3New Zealand ta i led, 1 0Schreigel 's green, 1 3si lver-speckled, 1 1Wa l l ace ' s f l y i ng . 13

Furnariidae, SSFur-seal , 97

Gadwa l l , 36Gal l i formes. 41 -42

Gannets, 31Garter-snake, common, 23Gavials, 26Geckos, 1 8

bent- toed, 1 8' f l y i ng ' .

1 8giant , 1 I

Geese, 35ba r -headed .35Canada. 35Ch inese ,35g rey lag ,3Slesser whi teJronted. 35Mage l l an ' s 35whi te- f ronted,35

German shepherd. 91G ibbon ,78Gi la monster , 21Giraf fe, 1 07G lass -snake ,21Gl ider, sugar, 69Gnu, 1 09Goat, angora, l '10

Kashm i r , 1 10saanen, 1 1 0toggenburg, 1 1 0

Goldf inch, European, 64 '

Go r i l l a . T9Goshawk, 39Great Dane, 91Grebes, 29

b lack -necked .29great crested,29l i t t l e , 29p i e d - b i l l e d . 2 9red -necked ,29

Grouse, 41Grui formes.43Guan, whi te crested, 41Guagga, 1 01Gu inea -p ig ,86Gu l l s , 45

common, 45g laucous .4S

Gymnure, Malayan, 71Gyrfa lcon,40

Hackney. 1 02Hamster, golden, 86 ,Hawks, 39Hares .82 -83

Be lg i an . S3b l u e , 8 3b rown .83Pa tagon ian ,86

Harpy -eag le ,39Hedgehog, common 71He l l bende r , SHereford, 1 1 0He rons ,32

boa t -b i l l ed ,32g rea t b l ue ,32grey. 32l i t t l e b l ue ,32reef , 32

Her r i ng -gu l l , 45Hibernat ion, SHippopotamuses, l06

pygmy, 1 06Holste in, 1 1 0Hoofed animals, 1 00-1 1 0

even - t oed ,104 -110odd - toed .100 103

Hoopoe, 51Hornb i l l s , 51

g rea t , 51Horses ,100 102

Arabian. 1 02digest ion in, 1 01evolut ion of , 1 00locomo t i on 0 f , 102Przewalski 's , 1 01

Humming -b i r ds .50b e e , 5 0g ian t , 50ruby-throaled. 50

Hyaenidae, 94Hyenas. 94Hy raco idea .9SHyrax, rock, 98

lb ises. 33l c t e r i dae ,55lguanas, 1 9Indr is, 76Insect ivores. T0-71

Jacana, 44Jacka l , 91Jaguar, 96Jagua rund i , 96Jay, turquoise. 56Jerboa, Egypt ian, STJersey, 1 1 0

Kangaroo-rat , 85Kangaroos, 68

red, 68t ree -c l imb ing ,68

Kes t re l , 40Kingf ishers, SlKiskadee. great 54Ki te, swal low-ta i led, 39Kiwi , 28Koala, 69Komodo dragon, 21Kookaburra, SlKrai t , banded, 24Kudu,

' l 08

Laniidae, 61Larks. 55

horned,555885

tlpng, 72

dwarf;)6i :

" - r ing-ta i led, .76" ' : L e o p o n , 9 6

' - Leopa rd , 96l - eopa rd -ca t , 96L i n g s a n g , 9 4Lion. 96Lizards, 1 8-21

a l l i ga to r , 2 lAustra l ian f r i l led. 1 Icommon red worm, 21Flor ida worm, 21fr inge-toed, 1 9horned toad. 1 9g i a n t , 2 1t a i l 0 f . 1 9

Loons ,29Lorrs, s lender, T6Lovebirds, masked, 47Lynx, 95Ly re -b i r ds ,54

supe rb ,54

lVlacaw, 47lVlagpies, S6lVlamba, b lack, 24Mammals. 65-1 1 0Manatee, 98Mand r i l l . TS

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